MATTHEW M. WILLIAMS RETURNS TO PARIS FASHION WEEK WITH BOLD NEW NAMESAKE BRAND AFTER GIVENCHY EXIT

After stepping down from his post as Creative Director at Givenchy in early 2024, acclaimed designer Matthew M. Williams is poised to reintroduce himself to the fashion world–on his own terms. Set to debut at the prestigious Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Williams will unveil his highly anticipated namesake brand, marking a fresh chapter in his storied career. The collection, which will be showcased at the Seiya Nakamura showroom, is expected to fuse the technical craftsmanship, minimalist rigor, and personal storytelling that have long defined his aesthetic.

Williams is no stranger to the fashion elite, but his journey has always been one of defiant individuality. From his early work as a creative collaborator with Kanye West and Lady Gaga to his time co-founding the influential art collective Been Trill alongside Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston, Williams has consistently blurred the lines between music, fashion, and street culture. In 2015, he launched 1017 ALYX 9SM, a label that quickly earned a cult following for its industrial-grade design language and its now-iconic rollercoaster buckle. That brand’s emphasis on innovation, hardware, and functionally elegant silhouettes put Williams in the global spotlight and laid the foundation for his appointment at Givenchy.

His tenure at Givenchy, beginning in 2020, was marked by a radical transformation of the storied French house. He injected it with a streetwise sensibility and a new kind of raw, modern energy. Yet even within the confines of haute couture, Williams remained deeply personal in his inspirations, referencing everything from his children’s British school uniforms to the neoclassical architecture of Les Invalides, near his Paris home. Now, freed from the institutional framework of a legacy house, he returns with an independent project that seems poised to be his most unfiltered expression yet.

Though the full collection details remain closely guarded, sources indicate the debut line will be both menswear and womenswear, underscoring Williams’ holistic view of fashion. Anchored in his product-based approach, the collection is likely to focus on material integrity, innovative tailoring, and a refined utilitarianism. The choice to debut at Seiya Nakamura’s showroom–known for curating some of fashion’s most forward-thinking talents–further signals a strategic positioning aimed at tastemakers, buyers, and critics who appreciate fashion at the bleeding edge.

This return to independence marks more than just a rebranding. It’s a statement of autonomy, a creative reset, and potentially the launchpad for one of fashion’s next great independent houses. For Williams, the debut of his eponymous label is a full-circle moment–one that fuses the avant-garde confidence of 1017 ALYX 9SM with the maturity and technical sophistication honed during his years at Givenchy. As Paris Men’s Fashion Week approaches, all eyes will be on the Nakamura showroom, where Williams’ next vision will finally come into focus.