Sex, love, glamour and immigration.
All these hot topics, mixed with masculine queer culture, set the tone for Willy Chavarria’s runway return to New York — and boy, was he missed.
Known for his Chicano heritage vibes, Chavarria’s former stint in the Nineties, the creation of “The Love Garage,” a club in San Fransisco that embraced rave culture and gritty house music, served as one of the key components of his take on what minimalism can mean.
In this case, the usually big, oversize silhouette that has defined Chavarria took a sophisticated turn that still managed to maintain a tough edge.
The first portion of the show showcased standouts such as a black washed satin robe with matching shorts, along with an array of flared and high-waisted denim numbers, often paired with souvenir jackets or matching oversize boxy shirts. Quilted leather handbags, an item typically associated with high luxury, adorned most of the models, along with black and gold chains used as necklaces, belts and handbags, which provided a refined touch.
Part two featured a collaboration with athletic brand K-Swiss: a Nineties California Chicano tennis prep collection — oversize pastels in blue and pink with a bit of neon that enhanced sweatshirts, baggy shorts and sweatpants done up in Chavarria’s signature silhouette. The classic 2000 all-white sneaker was reimagined for the runway as well with yellow stripes and spikes in the back.
Chavarria is great at infusing certain aspects of everyday political culture into his collections, whether via show casting — which this season featured either first-generation born guys or those who had immigrated to the States in the past 16 years from Mexico, Central and South America — or queer culture that he translated into reinterpretations of true masculinity through a feminine lens. Whatever he chooses, Chavarria’s message always resonates loud and clear.