Backstage at 1017 ALYX 9SM
Matthew Williams’ 1017 ALYX 9SM rounded off the week of Men’s shows in Paris, returning to a clandestine-like show space of glass and metal that paired perfectly with the designers intricate technical detailing. This season saw the designer push even further away from the streetwear crowd, adopting more traditional menswear codes alongside feminine silky slip dresses whilst retaining the design details that bought his brand to the fore.
As thumping bass echoed around the palatial space the first women’s look arrived in the form of a white ostrich-effect-leather ensemble featuring a tailored single-breasted coat worn elegantly with platform boots. Similar sleek classic men’s car coats followed, worn with an abstracted leopard print shoe which was peppered across a range of accessories. The print was made from abstracted lipstick marks and appeared on mohair knits and printed denim, as the core palette of black, beige and white began to appear across sharp tailoring with zip details, knitwear leather separates and dungarees.
More colour was injected through full looks in candy pink, on five-pocket denim, olive dresses and washed denim looks with crystal embellishments. This ornamentation found a home on tailored coats and technical parkas. Grey and black office-ready tailored looks worn with crisp white or black shirts and black ties were styled with chunky neck chains whilst the jackets featured a minimalist asymmetric closure to add a modern twist in the safer tailoring offering.
The brands signature belts appeared to be used more sparingly this season, on belted dresses as well as cinching the waists on oversized men’s coats. Williams’ military influences shone through in parkas, ostrich leather coats and dungarees which all featured army-style technical pocket details.
Bella Hadid closed the show with an androgynous look made up of a leather collared bomber jacket, crisp shirt and leather tie worn with heeled boots. The final look encapsulated the sharpness of the entire collection and Williams’ continued progression toward a grown-up tailored style that still retained some of his streetwear sensibilities.
Photography Adam Katz Sinding
Words DJ Titchener