“For me, fashion is more instinctive and emotional,” said Matthew Williams, the creator of the clothing line 1017 ALYX 9SM. Using his innate understanding of the relationship between youth and the music industry, Williams weaves the communal aspects of street style into his luxury modern design. Williams, 33, does not need to say much regarding the power and depth of his brand — the clothes speak for themselves.
Williams is a former creative coordinator of Lady Gaga’s Haus of Gaga, the team responsible for the singer’s vanguard style, and was head art director of Kanye West’s DONDA company. In its primary stages, Alyx was a womenswear brand that later started incorporating menswear elements. “I just create what I feel is relevant to exist today,” said Williams about the evolution of his designs. His bold concepts were recently seen on the Kim Jones’ directed-Dior runway in the form of “rollercoaster” belts, and several rappers, including Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert, were spotted donning Alyx chest rigs. While amusement park ornamentation and military inspired wear tend to signify Alyx styles, the brand’s breadth of motifs is actually fairly wide. For example, a collaboration with Nike produced the MMW shoe collection, which features a “sock-like collar” affixed to a rubber outsole that gives the footwear a futuristic aesthetic.
While Williams always had an interest in fashion, being a designer didn’t enter his mind until he took a high school trip to Europe; the clean, monochromatic European tailoring and couture left a lasting impression on him and eventually propelled him to explore a career in fashion.