Just about a year ago, Oakley fronted the cover of Hypebeast Magazine’s 35th issue, the Wavelength Issue.Thematically centered around a lineup of creatives who have charted unparalleled paths guided by their singular creative visions, the Wavelength Issue views worldbuilding as a wave that’s in constant motion, its effects palpable across the entire cultural zeitgeist. Oakley, alongside other cover stars Playboi Carti and Kaytranada, serves as a perfect example of just what authentic and cohesive immersive storytelling looks like in the modern era.The past year, since the Wavelength Issue’s drop, has proven one of the biggest in Oakley’s recent history, the brand having propelled its creative vision to unexplored terrain once again. Last summer, Travis Scott signed on as Oakley’s Chief Visionary Officer, further catapulting the label to peak cultural relevancy and ushering in an expansive new era. The Oakley team felt Scott’s future-facing artistic ethos aligned seamlessly with that of the sportswear imprint and ruled the multihyphenate rapper the first-ever to take the position. Overseeing eyewear and apparel in particular, Scott’s main responsibility is to hone in the brand’s narrative approach, though he’s also stayed busy debuting new models, reviving archival ones, and, at large, integrating Oakley into new spaces across the cultural consciousness.Last week, Oakley announced that another key cultural purveyor would join the team: none other than Scott’s close collaborator, Matthew M. Williams. The 1017 ALYX 9SM designer is officially Oakley’s Creative Director of Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories (otherwise known as AFA), an endeavor that will only, undoubtedly, push the eyewear-led label light years ahead.“What I expect from this merge of Travis and Matthew is nothing less than greatness,” said Caio Amato, Oakley’s President. “Travis is helping us drive a vision of the future that we wouldn’t be able to do by ourselves, and Matthew comes in to help turn that vision into practical pieces of gear and AFA that people will want to wear.”Williams and Amato sat down exclusively with Hypebeast to share more on what the new era of Oakley has in store.Matthew, in your own words, what does Oakley by Matthew M. Williams look like?MMW: Exciting. Emotional. I want it to inspire people to go out and engage in activity or in sport, and wear the clothing that we need. I want the next generation to be inspired to create things that deserve to exist. We all know what I’m talking about. I don’t want it to be flat.Caio, could you share more about why you chose Matthew for this role? What are some of his traits or skills that drove you to tap him to serve as Oakley’s Creative Director of Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories?CA: Matthew is brilliant at turning people’s feelings into products and stories. We admire his ability to turn the abstract into physical things. In an industry like ours, it’s very hard to find someone w
Oakley, According to Matthew M. Williams
