Willy Chavarria has a talent for moving you in a way you didn’t know fashion could, and that’s because his shows are about so much more than just the clothes. While his designs are breathtaking - tailoring sharp, palettes bold, and Chicano heritage inspired pieces flawless - his shows aren’t just about showing that off. They’re about building a world, characters, and a narrative around each season that we all need to hear.
Chavarria’s last show was heartbreakingly beautiful, and the statement against ICE that closed the collection left us with a lot to process. As a designer who’s known for speaking out on socio-political issues, particularly those taking place in his home country, the US, we’ve learnt to brace ourselves for a mixture of gorgeous designs and harsh truths at a Willy Chavarria show.
But this season felt different. Yesterday, we left his FW26 show feeling uplifted, empowered, and emboldened. Talking to the designer ahead of the show, Willy told us “Since my last show, shit has really hit the fan, but this season, I wanted to instil some level of optimism.” Well, his runway was absolutely buzzing with culture, personality, and optimism.
This isn’t just fashion; this is a cultural movement and a reminder that clothing is woven through every aspect of our lives. For Willy Chavarria, fashion is a statement, a rebellion, an act of love, a piece of history, and so much more. We sat down with Willy, a couple days ahead of his FW26 show in Paris, to talk about exactly that. Here's what went down.
After almost a full fashion year presenting in Paris, does it feel like you’ve settled into the city?
“I love Paris and I feel so welcomed here, which I'm so happy about. It's beautiful weather. I love this neighbourhood, Saint Germain, although I don't get to see a whole lot of it, because I'm mostly on these four floors. Maybe after the show, I'll go for a stroll.”
When you first showed in Paris, we [Culted] made a statement, saying, “Paris belongs to Willy,” as it felt like you completely took over the city. Now that you've established here, has your relationship with the city changed at all?
“I feel like Paris still belongs to me, and I feel like that's because I bring something to Paris that nobody else does. I mean, we've got so many other designers that I love and I respect, but I'm so happy that my team and I can bring a perspective that nobody else really offers, and this season, I want to really blow that out of the park.”
Your shows consistently carry a strong message and emotional energy. What conversations or realities felt most urgent for you to address this season?
“Since my last show, shit has really hit the fan. But this season, since even the beginning of [designing] the collection, I've wanted to instil some level of optimism. I’m going to show a very optimistic yet emotional point of view that represents diversity.”
Last year, we asked you what the American dream meant to you and you said, “right now, the American Dream is simply to preserve our rights as humans and to be able to afford to have a decent life.” What does it mean to you today?
“Right now, the American dream means survival.”
You've championed your Chicano and Latino-American identity on the global stage. What does it mean for your community to see these stories centred in Paris today?
“I am so proud to have the team that I work with to deliver the message that we deliver, doing the most incredible, high level things for the brand. Representing so many people who haven't had opportunity, and seeing us all just take it over is really a blessing.”
What has inspired this season’s collection?
“This season's collection was inspired quite a bit by the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. It's really a look back at nostalgic moments throughout history and implementing them into the cast of characters. I've always designed with these different people that I see on the street [in mind], and this season, it's a more expanded version of that, where we're actually going to see a city street, and that city for me is New York, but it can be any city. It can be Paris, it can be Los Angeles, it could be Tokyo - you’ve just gotta put yourself into that place.”
Talking about your cast of characters, you continue to work with a close reoccurring group of models. Why is that continuity important to you?
“The models that I work with on a continuous level are also very good friends of the brand, and we're all like family, so it's important for me to have them be a part of the show. The models we see time and time again in my shows are not only for continuity, but they are people that really feel close to me. I feel like [my models] represent me as much as I represent them, and when I see them in these looks, it really transitions the meaning of the look into something that's very close to home. So it feels very personal, and I love that it's more emotional for me.”
Your shows often balance tenderness with power. How do you navigate that when designing a collection?
“Tenderness and power are synonymous to me. Right now, especially when power is being claimed as kind of brutal and ugly and overtaking, I like to show that power is actually being tender and being loving - that's real power. When we're designing the collection, my team and I, we have conversations throughout the day about what's happening in the world. It's not like we zone that out. So every stitch of clothing, every fabric, every drape, we are considering how it relates to our feeling in the world right now. I think that the looks and the clothing are easier for us to take in emotionally, because they relate back to our state of mind.”
How do you want the audience to feel when they leave your FW26 show?
“I want the audience to feel a little enlightened when they leave this show. I want them to really feel like they've been touched emotionally, and to go out into the world with kind of a renewed strength.”
As a designer who consistently makes political statements with your shows and uses their platform to incite positive change, are you at all disappointed by established brands who have huge audiences, who continue to kind of ignore this reality?
“We’re in a very bad situation right now, and we've got big brands, big companies that unfortunately feel that they're not in a position to stand on the side of what's right for history, or even talk about what's happening. And I know it's tough. You've got these big companies like Apple, where you see Tim Cook taking that gold statue or whatever he gave the US President. And, you know, the guy has got to preserve his company. He's got a lot of jobs to protect, so I can see why he's doing that. I just think that those of us who have the opportunity to say something should take advantage, because we are in dire times right now.”
What nugget of advice would you give to the 20 year old version of yourself?
“Don't go into fashion. No, I would say stay out of trouble, stay focused, believe in yourself, and don't forget the value of hard work. Don't be fucking lazy. That'll get you nowhere.”
More on Culted
See: Cecilie Bahnsen x Alpha Industries is gorpcore for the fashion girls
See: “I always knew I was different”: Chy Cartier talks manifestation and JD’s holiday campaign
