Matthew Williams steps down as creative director of Givenchy

Matthew Williams is leaving the post of creative director of the Givenchy fashion house, which he held for three years. The American designer plans to focus on developing his own brand 1017 Alyx 9SM, WWD reports.

Williams' final work as creative director of the brand will be the men's and women's pre-fall 2024 collections, the release date of which will be announced later. Givenchy will end its collaboration with the designer on January 1, 2024, the fashion house said in a statement.

Matthew's departure comes at the end of his three-year contract with the brand and weeks after the designer struck a deal with Hong Kong entrepreneur Adrian Chen to develop his 1017 Alyx 9SM brand, founded in 2015. Williams plans to open boutiques and develop new categories such as jewelry, shoes and accessories.

“Leading the creative direction of Givenchy has, as I said, been a lifelong dream of mine,” Williams said in a statement. "Over these three years, I have strived to perpetuate the legacy of Hubert de Givenchy while bringing my own creative vision, and I would like to sincerely thank the studio, Renaud de Lesquin and LVMH for this incredible opportunity."

Givenchy notes that "pending the announcement of a new creative director" future collections will be handled by the fashion house’s design team.