Brandon Maxwell, A Lady Gaga Fave, Is Coming To Walmart

In the world of luxury fashion, Brandon Maxwell has hit every marker of success. He’s dressed Michelle Obama, is adored by Lady Gaga, and is a judge on the new version of Project Runway. And while the next typical career step usually involves crossing the pond, Maxwell is staying firmly in America as Walmart’s first creative director — a new position for the massive retail corporation.

In a release, Walmart announced that he will oversee the company’s two in-house apparel lines, Free Assembly and Scoop, which encompass “men’s, women’s, [and] children’s [clothing] and accessories.” Maxwell’s job description includes “collection design and providing input into material selection, sourcing and production,” as well as “brand marketing initiatives.” As part of that work, Free Assembly and Scoop will expand into four traditional seasonal collections, beginning in part with the Holiday 2021 drop and a full collection for Spring 2022.

“This has been something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Maxwell told Vogue. He developed his namesake line to “make beautiful clothing that made people feel good,” adding that this partnership offers the chance to “do that on a larger scale.” For Maxwell, that incredible nationwide accessibility will be the core driving factor of his work: “Everyone deserves to have access to well-designed clothing at an accessible price point,” he said in a statement. “This partnership allows me to bring the experience and joy of fashion to countless people who live in small towns across the country.”

Maxwell fans will have to wait until next year to enjoy Free Assembly and Scoop’s Maxwell-influenced designs, but since we’re still very much ensconced in this pandemic, he designed a line of face masks that are available now. The masks are printed with outlines of each of the 50 states, and will coincide with a $100,000 donation from Walmart to DonorsChoose.org.