Willy Chavarria Takes Paris With Star-studded 10th Anniversary Show
Willy Chavarria made a flamboyant debut at Paris Men’s Fashion Week — with a little help from his friends.
The coed display, which marked the 10th anniversary of the brand, featured live performances by J Balvin and Dorian Wood, while models included singer Becky G, rapper Tokischa and reggaeton star Ozuna alongside a diverse cast of the designer’s longtime muses.
More from WWD
Guests arriving at the American Cathedral in Paris were greeted by a vintage lowrider — a flaming red Chevy Impala — that cruised around town to distribute limited-edition merchandise from his collaboration with Adidas Originals in the run-up to the show, one of the hottest tickets of Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
Chavarria, who last year was named the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, as well as Designer of the Year at the Latin American Fashion Awards, has made no secret of his ambition to be named creative director of a top fashion house, and this lineup condensed all his brand codes.
“I feel very confident, very excited, very emotional. I’m really happy to take both the business and the message of the brand to a much more global position,” he said backstage.
Front and center were his signature broad-shouldered suits in dark satins, checked flannels and crushed velvet in jewel tones. In a nod to Paris, he sprinkled in some bouclé jackets with gold buttons, but most of the looks paid tribute to his Mexican American origins.
Chavarria celebrated Chicano style with elevated versions of workwear jackets, flannel shirts and chinos in oversized constructions and fine fabrics. T-shirt graphics were peppered with commentaries on community and identity.
While there were some unisex looks, including opera jackets with full backs, much of the womenswear was figure-hugging, reflecting the recent hiring of Rebeca Mendoza, an alum of brands including Calvin Klein and Mark Cross, as head of design.
Sporting the bouffant ‘dos and thin arched eyebrows typical of the Pachuca women’s subculture of the ’40s, models including Paloma Elsesser, Indya Moore and Honey Dijon walked in looks such as hourglass bustier tops, washed denim or leather pencil skirts, and a red T-shirt bodysuit printed with the word “Diablo.”
Chavarria took his bow in a T-shirt that read “How we love is who we are,” part of a partnership with Tinder to raise awareness and funds for the Human Rights Campaign and LGBTQIA+ rights.
He joined his hands and bowed his head as the soundtrack played an excerpt of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s sermon at the prayer service for the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in which she asked him to “have mercy upon” immigrants and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
“When I heard the bishop speak at the president’s inauguration, I just was in tears, and I watched it over and over. So that’s why I felt it was important to play it here in the church, at an Episcopal church with this amazing cast of people, who are all of us in fear right now because of our rights,” Chavarria explained. “I wanted to show us all together, standing as a unified people and the beauty in that, and the strength in that, and the positivity in that.”
Chavarria hopes to make his brand available to a broader cross-section of consumers going forward. While ramping up the luxury portion of his offering by moving much of his tailoring to Italy, he’s also launching T-shirts at lower price points, alongside new Adidas styles for fall.
The show also featured some archival pieces sourced on eBay, as part of another brand partnership that will see an olive velvet suit from the collection auctioned off to benefit the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, which supports fire recovery efforts in Los Angeles.
Chavarria made his mark with a profoundly personal statement that brought a welcome new perspective to the Paris menswear scene. He had several store appearances lined up over the weekend to meet his local fans. “I want to take over Paris, and I want to sell a lot of stuff,” he said with a cheeky grin.
– With contributions from Alex Badia
Launch Gallery: Willy Chavarria Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
