“Unreal”. That’s how Alyx’s Matthew Williams describes this past year – a sentiment that echoes around the world. He throws the word out further too, remarking more broadly on the wild pace of technological evolution, and how it’s reformed our world today. It shapes Alyx’s world. The brand’s M.O. is fundamentally in “seeking to unite technical innovation with human emotion”.

For FW21, the human touch came from a fourth time working with the historical master tailors at Caruso. The offering of coats and suits is clean and precise. Some traditional woollens are utilized, but synthetic teddy is also introduced as an unexpected challenge to formality. Fine micro Rollercoaster buckles are engineered into belt buckles and jewellery, subverting their typical industrial heft and connotation. The centrepiece innovation comes in the form of the Mono Hybrid Mules. Offering extreme comfort, they’re developed from a single piece of EVA foam (non-sneakerheads out there: that’s the material typically sandwiched in midsoles to make them springy and momentum-boosting).

Strange and familiar is the overarching feeling – a mood particularly amplified through the intensity of Lotta Volkova’s styling. Ticking all the major house codes, it’s a collection that feels close to home, but as we know, even home feels a little different these days.