This year, Willy Chavarria claimed his place as a critically important voice in American fashion. The Willy wave has been building for some time: The Chicano designer’s finely crafted workwear and exaggerated prom suits—tailored with a badass, never- kitschy flair—earned him the top menswear prize at the 2023 CFDA Awards. But it wasn’t until this fall that Chavarria left a truly indelible impression.
Chavarria, 57, is hardly a fresh face—he spent most of his career working in the corporate–fashion establishment. Since going solo in 2015, the Fresno, California–born, New York–bred designer has faced the challenges that confront any young brand. Chavarria has responded with a unique ranginess. As business grew, he unveiled a collection of couture opera coats and, earlier this year, a provocative line of pre-distressed underwear that drew on his experience as a designer at Joe Boxer and Calvin Klein. Some of the most tasteful and influential celebrities have noticed: Kendrick Lamar wore a Willy Chavarria track suit in his “Not Like Us” music video.
In September, Chavarria built on the buzz, bringing New York Fashion Week to an abandoned bank on Wall Street for his treatise on “América,” as he dubbed his spring-summer ’25 collection. In an acrimonious election year with anti-immigrant rhetoric flooding the airwaves, Chavarria told a story steeped in pride.
Set under an enormous star-spangled banner, it was an ode to the working class, delivered through United Farm Workers sweatshirts, cropped mechanics shirts, and dungarees tailored in Chavarria’s signature oversized proportion. Chavarria commands among the most inclusive runways in the business, and his crew of tough, tattoo–covered models embodied a crystal clear idea of beauty and power woefully absent in the wider fashion world. “It’s really about the fact that all of us belong, all of us have purpose, and all of us have the ability to make change in this country,” Chavarria said backstage.
Chavarria’s codes are solidifying, but he still has tricks up his sleeves. The show appeared to be over when the music darkened, then out came a surprise Adidas collaboration, an extensive capsule inspired by NBA legend and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that will introduce Willy Chavarria to his biggest audience yet. The designer made clear that he sees no limits on his empowering vision for American menswear. “I want to make sure that I’m creating collections for all people to wear,” he said. —S.H.
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