The reason the 1017 Alyx 9SM fall 2023 show was a standing affair became apparent as the fashion pack crowded into the Spazio Maiocchi art gallery in Milan: A raised catwalk had been installed in front of Mark Flood paintings, which inspired designer Matthew Williams’ collection, sometimes very literally.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, the Houston-based artist was prescient in his use of memes and mock corporate logos, which looked pretty darn cool spelled out on the considered brand of streetwear Williams plies, this season a little grittier, grungier and less severe than usual. The clothes were approachable, distinctive and slyly cool.
No doubt Williams had a blast approximating the smudged, stained, distressed quality of Flood’s artworks onto garments, from the terrific, weathered-looking leather blousons, cropped just so, to jeans with frothy protrusions that echo Flood’s intricate lace paintings.
“I love [fabric] treatments and aging products,” the designer said after the show. “I think it gives a lot of soul to the clothes. It’s part of the DNA of my work, so I’m always experimenting with that, those happy accidents that you get in the process.”
The designer also displayed a great sense of proportion, giving warm-up jackets and nylon parkas hefty shoulders and extra length, while his trim, white leather blouson stopped just past the waistband. Tuxedo jackets and coats, with the satin lapels embedded and shredded at the edge, were the height of dystopian chic.
Eye-catching accessories included mini backpacks strung from a single strap bearing one of the brand’s hulking rollercoaster buckles; leather caps pierced with a dangling bunny earring, and mid-height slouch boots, seen earlier in the day at Gucci, here with a hefty, industrial sole.
Williams also teased his women’s fall collection, and it looks promising based on the big curly coat with the spike-studded leather elbow patches; the spangled silver shorts, and a fierce black jersey gown suspended from a spiky collar.
