There are moments in fashion when a hire reveals a brand’s ambitions. Oakley’s recruitment of Matthew M. Williams as Creative director of apparel, footwear, and accessories signals the brand’s ambition to grow these categories and rival or eclipse its core eyewear business. That’s an audacious goal. Yet, when you consider who Williams is and where he comes from, it doesn’t seem far-fetched.
Matthew M. Williams brings a rare mix of technical and luxury expertise
Born in Chicago and raised in California, Matthew M. Williams has spent two decades building a reputation spanning technical design, luxury fashion, and streetwear. In 2015, he founded 1017 Alyx 9SM, a label known for industrial hardware, rollercoaster belt buckles, and a material-focused approach to clothing. Williams later served as Creative director of Givenchy’s men’s and women’s collections and forged a decade-long partnership with Nike through NIKE MMW. This partnership led to entirely new footwear systems, including the world’s first running shoe engineered specifically for treadmills.
For Williams, the appointment returns him to his California roots. “I’ve been a fan of Oakley’s since I was a kid,” he said. “Growing up, I played soccer in Irvine, where Oakley is based. It was part of my world.” That kind of personal connection matters. You can’t manufacture that kind of connection.
Why Oakley is shifting beyond its eyewear dominance?
Caio Amato, Oakley’s global president, described Williams as a well-rounded professional who is as adept at production planning as he is at “turning feelings into products.” This phrase may sound like marketing language, but it’s important to consider what Oakley is actually trying to do. The brand has marketed apparel, footwear, and accessories for more than 35 years, but the eyewear business has always dominated. The goal now is for AFA to become equally central to the brand – or larger. “We want the apparel, footwear, and accessories category to be as big as, if not bigger than, eyewear,” Amato said.
That’s a significant repositioning. Amato was candid about why it hadn’t happened sooner: “Eyewear has always been the foundation of Oakley; it’s where we started. Because of that, apparel, footwear, and accessories haven’t always received the same level of focus.”
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A creative alignment with Travis Scott strengthens the cultural strategy
Williams arrived at Oakley around the same time as Travis Scott, who has served as the brand’s chief visionary officer since last year. The two have a long shared history. While Williams was developing Been Trill with Virgil Abloh, Scott was wearing the rarest pieces. When Alyx’s rollercoaster belt became coveted, Scott had a collection. When Williams debuted his collaboration with Audemars Piguet, Scott’s Cactus Jack imprint followed with its own. These two don’t imitate each other – they operate on the same frequency.
“Travis is here working on his new album. We’ve been spending a lot of time together,” said Williams. Scott is currently preparing his first product drop for Oakley, which is expected in the coming weeks.
From performance heritage to lifestyle expansion opportunities
Williams plans to draw from Oakley’s technical performance heritage while venturing into the lifestyle market. He mentioned the brand’s footwear and bags, including the Icon and Kitchen Sink backpacks with hardware detailing, as areas with real room to grow. The hardware lineage connects directly to his own work at Alyx. “They also have an amazing footwear line that can be significantly expanded,” he said.
It’s not just what Williams designs that’s worth watching, but also how quickly Oakley can shift perception. Amato indicated that initial product drops could arrive within six months, with Williams’s full creative vision taking shape over the following year. The brand also has built-in visibility: its parent company, EssilorLuxottica, was an official supporter of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Williams, for his part, sounds genuinely reinvigorated. “I feel reinvigorated and rejuvenated at a time when people are complaining that our industry is stagnant,” he said. “I’m feeling inspired again, and I’m really excited about what I’m making.” Whether that excitement will translate into products that change how people see Oakley – literally and otherwise – is a question worth asking a year from now.