Last we heard of Matthew M. Williams, back in December, the American designer had just announced his departure from Givenchy following the thought-provoking (if less headline-making) news that he had secured an investment deal for his Alyx label with Adrian Cheng, the Hong Kong-based entrepreneur. This week, quietly and intimately hosting previews in his Paris apartment, Williams revealed exactly what the new Alyx will look like moving forward.
The designer and Cheng, now the label’s majority owner, had outlined their plans to accelerate the label’s growth. They spoke of freestanding stores, betting on DTC channels, and maximizing drops with pop-ups and other events. They moved the label’s headquarters away from Italy, which had been a crucial part of its storytelling as this “American designer making luxury items in Italy,” to Paris, where Williams has been based since he took the job at Givenchy.
But they hadn’t explained how exactly they’d reshape Alyx’s product until now. “We’ve had a really great reaction to the collection, especially because we really brought down the prices this season from the past decade,” said Williams. The new Alyx is significantly more accessible than it had been historically.
A sweatshirt came down from $600 to around $250, a leather jacket from $3,000 to $900, and the denim from $700 to $450. “These kinds of prices allow more stores to buy deeper and kids to be able to buy the brand, which is great,” said Williams, “h.
