When Matthew M. Williams arrived at the creative helm of Givenchy in June 2020, the American-born designer rode in on the wave of euphoria around the luxury streetwear scene, of which he was a key ringleader with his 1017 Alyx 9SM label.
But with his intense focus on product design, Williams is building Givenchy as a connoisseur brand, more than a hype one.
His spring men’s show on Thursday was perhaps light on fashion fireworks, but chockablock with superb, interesting clothes.
Case in point: A pair of plain white windbreakers that had an arresting, luxurious and almost formal quality. Backstage, Williams explained that they were double-faced, a painstaking technique usually reserved for tailored cashmere garments and outerwear.
He approached it as an experiment that yielded lightweight, partially transparent garments that “flowed in a really nice way.”
“Maybe a lot of people wouldn’t notice it or care. It’s just nice for me,” he mused. “As someone who loves fashion, loves construction and likes to explore those ideas, maybe it will lead to something else in the future.”
Staged around the main courtyard of the Hôtel National des Invalides, the show had stately airs as Williams confidently cycled through various archetypes — relaxed tailoring, school uniforms, military and couture-caliber formalwear. That’s how he works, rather than with seasonal themes or narratives.
There was a pleasing languor to his full-legged pants crumpling over chunky dress shoes, or his new lowrider sneakers, and a spine-stiffening rigor in his sharp-shouldered, minimalist tuxedos or sleeveless jumpsuits for evening.
He had dialed down the branding to a subtle script embroidery of Givenchy 1952 on a shrunken blouson, and his penchant for hardware to flat silver studs scattered over a technical parka and pants, and oversized grommets adding ventilation and a visual punch to long white T-shirts.
Williams’ Givenchy is not quite quiet luxury. Let’s just say that if you know, you know.