In June 2020, when Clare Waight Keller left the brand, Matthew Williams, a young American designer who recently turned 35, was appointed creative director of Givenchy. Due to the pandemic, he had to present his first collection for the brand in the format of a lookbook - and at Paris Fashion Week, his debut show for the fall-winter 2021 season took place.
In addition to being Givenchy's new creative director, Williams runs his own label, 1017 Alyx 9SM, which features a mix of haute couture, streetwear, and a mix of Californian and New York skate and punk cultures.
As the designer himself noted, one of the main catalysts of his work has always been music, so he decided to hold such a significant show for his career at the concert venue and illuminate the podium with powerful spotlights, and entrusted DJ Robert Hood, the founder of the minimal techno genre, to work on the soundtracks for the show.
The Fall/Winter 2021 collection for Paris Fashion Week reflects Williams' passion for experimenting with fabrics and shades. Apart from occasional bursts of fiery red, the looks presented on the catwalk were mostly monochrome. Despite the fact that their color palette turned out to be simple and concise, the same cannot be said about shapes and textures. Street style elements have been combined with avant-garde details to embody the tension between extravagance and childishness.
The designer focused on graphic and slightly hypertrophied silhouettes, as well as accessories - fur mittens, hats and scarves, feathers apes and pendants in the form of gold water bottles. The collection includes fur coats, puffy short down jackets, leather jackets, sheepskin coats, vests, pantsuits, long skirts, overalls, lingerie-style bras and translucent dresses with silver embroidery. The evening wear section hit the audience with feather capes, exquisite gowns and skirts. It’s no wonder we will see these outfits on the Oscar and Grammy red carpets.