Willy Chavarria doesn’t just design clothes—he makes declarations. In a world of performative diversity, his shows feel more like spiritual awakenings than fashion spectacles. At the heart of each collection is something deeper than style: a commitment to honor the people and places that shaped him, from the working-class fields of Huron, California, to the clubs of New York City. This spring, that mission found new life in South Central L.A., where Chavarria premiered his Spring/Summer 2025 collection. The campaign, shot by Carlos Jaramillo and guided by longtime creative partner Jess Cuevas, wasn’t about trend cycles. It was about legacy.
1“I think there’s a secret sauce to what we do,” Chavarria told us. “It’s really capturing the physical and the spiritual.”
His garments—oversized and regal, delicate yet rooted in toughness—occupy that sacred intersection. “When the physical, how we look, how we dress, how we take care of ourselves, crosses over with the spiritual, how we love each other, how we believe in God or not—that moment in between is what we capture.”
It’s this emotional architecture that sets Chavarria apart. The clothes may be elegant, but they are never hollow. “We’re tired of the oppression around race, sexuality, and gender,” he said. “What we do is show the beauty beyond that.”
2Chavarria doesn’t tokenize. He creates space. And when he casts his shows—staged everywhere from leather bars to cathedrals—he does it with intent. “Our goal is to bring people into spaces they haven’t been invited to,” Cuevas told us. “To elevate them into luxury and elegance in a way I’ve never seen before.” The result is a kind of radical tenderness. Whether it’s his MET Gala gowns or his streetwise collaborations, Chavarria’s message is clear: brown, queer, and working-class people belong in the center of fashion—not just the margins.
3Chavarria might dress celebrities, but he’s still the guy grabbing tacos al pastor after the show. “We just got back from the MET Gala,” he laughed. “And then we come right back home to L.A., to our people. That, to me, is so beautiful for us and for the brand.” That duality—global recognition without losing cultural grounding—is the root of his power. While some designers pursue prestige through exclusion, Chavarria insists on accessibility. “The concept has always been to offer something to as many people as I could,” he said. “And then challenge myself to do the most luxurious design possible.”
4His recent collaboration with adidas, while noteworthy, is just one chapter in a larger story. “It’s a really powerful moment to be working with that logo,” he said. “But it’s about more than cool clothes. It’s about shining a light on the beauty of brown people. That’s who inspired all of this.” For Chavarria, fashion isn’t the end goal—it’s the medium. He sees his work as a way to uplift the unheard, to speak on behalf of those often left out of the conversation. And he is. One impeccably cut silhouette at a time.
