As we looked at this womenswear presentation, which was the follow-up to the menswear event that took place in January, Matthew Williams said, “I do see the man and the woman hanging out.” He went on to say that the “beautiful thing about Alyx” was that the history of the brand was being created every day in real time, which was another one of Alyx’s many selling points. It’s very much like having a conversation with oneself. The things that intrigued me when I was 27 and starting the business are quite different from what I’m interested in now that I’m 37, and that’s alright. It’s not that we have to sew clothes for the club kids, which is something that, when I first started out, I definitely would have been more interested in doing.

Nevertheless, several of these looks have the potential to be really successful in the club, regardless of whether or not they are paired with the Alyx guy. These were the dog-collar stud neck frayed-hem dresses that were worn at the beginning and end of the show, the slip dress that included a print from the ongoing artist collaboration with Mark Flood, as well as the gathered-neck metal mesh top (worn with pink faded denim shorts) and the minidress. Equally, one might position William’s Alyx ladies in more elegant modern circumstances such as gallery openings, creative meetings, and bank robberies and the like if they were dressed in his jewel detailed, satin gowns, rough-edged tailoring, rib knit dresses, and studded knee leather leggings and shearlings.

The treated lace that was used on draped pants and shirts was another nod to Flood’s lace paintings, and its delicate discord provided a wonderful contrast to the more intense turmoil that was created in the leathers by meticulously dying, washing, printing, and then burning them to produce multi-layered depth. The artwork of melting Easter bunnies being mixed together served as inspiration for the silver bunny hardware that was also obtained from the Flood. The leather toes of the cowboy boots, some of which were Flood-printed while others were more basic, had been ripped open to expose the unyielding steel caps that were underneath. There were two new bags: the unisex Payton bag and the feminocentric Raya bag. Both of these bags were available in Flood patterns as well as a variety of vegan and non-vegan fabrications.

It would appear that Williams is moving into a new and more advanced era of design. This conclusion can be drawn from analysing the most recent two Alyx collections as well as keeping a watch on his other efforts. He stated that “I want to allow the brand to mature and grow and evolve with my tastes and life: It is such a personal project.”

The Collection