Here comes Matthew M. Williams' newest brand It will be named after the designer and will make its debut in Paris during menswear in June

After leaving Givenchy in 2023, Matthew M. Williams took a (long) break. A necessary detachment from the fashion system at that moment, after his experience as creative director of Givenchy, which had positioned him at the forefront of the Parisian luxury scene. Following that chapter, Williams chose to keep a lower profile, focusing on personal projects and stepping away, at least publicly, from the fashion week circuit. Now, however, the break seems to be over. The American designer has announced the launch of a new, independent namesake brand, marking his return to the official menswear calendar in Paris. The debut will take place during the upcoming Paris Fashion Week Men’s, with the collection on display at the Seiya Nakamura showroom from June 26 to July 1.

The project will include both menswear and womenswear, conceived with a product-focused vision and a strong emphasis on material quality and production processes. According to WWD, Williams has chosen to self-fund the new line, relying on a network of suppliers he has worked with throughout his two-decade career. Among them are a Japanese denim mill, an American jersey specialist, and a Spanish workshop known for handmade footwear. A return to a more controlled, almost sartorial dimension, where the designer aims to redefine his identity through a more direct and selective production process, far from the industrial pressures of major fashion houses (which aren’t exactly thriving at the moment).

Meanwhile, Williams had continued working on 1017 ALYX 9SM, the brand he founded in 2015, which over the years has stood out for its technical-functional aesthetic, reminiscent of Yeezy (a brand with which he had worked and collaborated). Despite the brand’s tenth anniversary, ALYX too has gone through a period of adjustment in recent years. After leaving Givenchy, the label scaled back its output, releasing an SS24 collection and, more recently, a Pre-Spring 25. A decision that marked a slower pace compared to previous years, partly due to a decline in media and commercial hype, influenced by the fading of the streetwear culture, a movement ALYX was almost a founding force of. Adding further complexity to the picture, at the end of 2023, Adrian Cheng acquired a stake in Williams’ first brand. The Hong Kong entrepreneur, known for his investments in the fashion and luxury sector, took a majority share and initiated a process of restructuring and strategic redefinition.

Since then, communication around ALYX has been more reserved, raising questions about its medium-term future. The founding of a new label seems to reinforce the idea that Williams has distanced himself, almost entirely, from his “first born,” and now prefers to focus on a perhaps more mature project. Not a return to the scene to capitalize on nostalgia or follow the trend of the moment, but an attempt to refocus on product, craftsmanship, and quality as a starting point. Whether the audience and market will respond to this shift remains to be seen, especially considering that Williams’ success — both at Givenchy and with ALYX — never relied on a traditionally sartorial vision, but rather on a deliberate reinterpretation of street and pop cultures. A more accurate judgment will have to wait until the end of the month.