The Willy Chavarria show was nothing short of a spectacle. He’s proven himself a showman time again, both in New York and in Paris, where he has shown for the last three seasons. His AW26 outing played out like a music video, a theatre performance and a film rolled into one. Staged inside a judo arena on the outskirts of city, the catwalk resembled a New York street, with zebra crossings and phone boxes. Everyday life in the Big Apple shapes his design ethos. In his show notes, Chavarria spoke about studying New Yorkers from his window. “I watch them rush to work while I make my coffee. I watch them meet on corners. Enter the restaurant across the street. Kiss goodbye. Argue. Jump in and out of taxis. I watch people fall in love. I watch them fall apart. All of us under the same sun, under the same moon, sharing the same universe.”
What unfolded was a cinematic experience split into three acts, with an all star cast including everyone from Julia Fox and Romeo Beckham to Goldie, Erin O’Connor and Alek Wek. The brilliant Mon Laferte began proceedings, moving into an eclectic mix of performances from Lunay, Mahmood, Mr. E, Santos Bravos, Feid and Latin Mafia.
The plot seemed to centre around a tale of late night lust and a fierce act of revenge, all played out on a bustling Manhattan block. His characters came in super sharp suiting and handsome outerwear in vivid hues. As the show progressed, Chavarria introduced Big Willy, a new more affordable line from the brand consisting of workwear that was cut wide with the right amount of slouch to the trousers. Also in the mix was Chavarria’s latest team-up with Adidas Originals which payed homage to vintage football kits.
Most surprising of all was the show’s closing chapter, which saw Chavarria delve into elegant evening wear. He’s steadily been building his womenswear arsenal over the last two years, though here he truly flexed his muscles with sack dresses and tinselly frocks that migrated into swirling capes. The Willy universe keeps on growing, watch him soar.
Photography courtesy of Willy Chavarria.
