Alkaline The Givenchy Model
Champion Boy Alkaline has officially been announced as the face of Matthew M. Williams’s first dedicated menswear collection in a global campaign. This endeavor will see Alkaline becoming the first Dancehall artist to undertake such a campaign and the first for the fashion house.
According to a release, the Givenchy Spring-Summer 2023 men’s global advertising campaign will continue to explore the tension and contrast between Givenchy’s tailoring heritage and the urban aesthetic Matthew M. Williams has established for the House.
“There’s a deep connection between Givenchy and the actors, musicians, and athletes who wear its clothes, and I immediately felt that kind of connection with Alkaline: when something’s right, you can just feel it. He inspires me both as an artist and as a human being, so for this campaign, I wanted to keep the focus on who he is and the very natural, authentic way he wears clothing — which is exactly my intention as a designer,” stated Givenchy Creative Director Matthew M. Williams.
Last week, photos of Alkaline from the French fashion house’s SS22 and SS23 campaigns surfaced online, showcasing a different side of the Suave deejay.
Alkaline—who had name-dropped the brand in his Top Prize track More Life (2021)—wore two full-black ensembles, featuring a formal trench coat, oversized pants, Giv Cut Sunglasses, and bold rubber boots.
Several of Alkaline’s singles were used to soundtrack the haute Paris runway showcase for the Spring/Summer 2022 collection last year.
Today, Givenchy complemented the efforts by adding the artist to its social media channels and a website feature on Givenchy.com.
The entertainer hailed the chemistry between his music, and Williams’ creativity as the reason for the company’s endorsement.
“Firstly, shout out to Matthew and Givenchy. As a creative, you aspire to make music that inspires the audience on multiple levels to improve life for themselves and others. I believe that is what happened with Matthew and my music when creating these pieces,” Alkaline, whose given name is Earlan Bartley said.
The release further said that Alkaline will and his team will be pulling out all the stops to mark a decade in the industry. It is said that there will be new releases of memorabilia, limited-edition collectibles, and music with accompanying visuals.
It further said, “The year-long celebration will see the team executing various partnerships and unveiling new products and promotions geared towards repositioning Alkaline as the dominant force in dancehall and his ascension as a global sensation. As an independent artist, Alkaline has amassed over one billion views on YouTube and millions of streams across various digital service providers annually.”