Long before Claire Waite Keller left, there was talk about who will take the place of Givenchy's new creative director. Simon Port Jacquemus and Phoebe Faylo were named among the main contenders, but the company LVMH, which owns the French brand, chose Matthew Williams, according to The Business of Fashion. He is known as the founder of the 1017 ALYX 9SM streetwear brand. According to strategic analysts at Bain & Company, this will help attract millennials and Gen Z, who will make up at least half of luxury buyers by 2025. The designer will work on the brand's women's, men's and couture collections, the first of which will be shown at Paris Fashion Week in October.
“I am grateful to the representatives of LVMH for believing in me and making it possible to fulfill the dream of a lifetime,” Williams himself commented on the appointment. “In these unprecedented times in the world, I want to send a letter of hope with my community and colleagues and I intend to contribute to positive change.”
Matthew Williams grew up in California and now lives in Ferrara, Italy. He previously worked with Lady Gaga and Kanye West, and was also a member of the Been Trill, along with Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston. The 1017 ALYX 9SM brand appeared in 2015, and a year later became a finalist in the LVMH Prize.