Willy Chavarria is an iconoclastic creator, tackling societal issues and religious themes on the reg’. And with his SS23 menswear offering he really said, “take me to church” – not just because the ecclesiastic set was christened within the grand nave of the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, the clothes felt like sacred vestments as well. The first man to walk even clutched a crucifix in the center of his chest, literally portraying this divinity that permeates Chavarria’s work.
The collection was called Please Rise, and the invite displayed a stocky figure in an elongated white T-shirt and baggy black trousers, standing on a cloud surrounded by blue sky and UV rays with a glowing gold halo just above his head – you might say we had a staunch idea of what was in store.
At first the silhouettes felt extremely domineering, boasting sharp-shouldered double-breasted blazers with oversized knifepoint-lapels that wrapped around the wearer; baggy tailored bermuda shorts styled with ribbed, knee-high see-through socks and patent leather loafers; and utilitarian charcoal denim twinsets. Chavarria’s boys meant business. But eventually this evolved into something more form fitted and sartorially elegant. Silk blouses had Bishops sleeves, before billowing jersey trousers tapered at the ankle appeared. Elsewhere, shoulders skulked under rigidly structured cropped capes with swallowtail collars or miniature ruff necks, styled with lustrous floor-length skirts.
Then, just as the catwalk came to a close, a queer compilation of feminine yet sporty garms appeared. Graphic American football shirts with princessy puff sleeves were crafted from satin and organza.
While Chavarria often plays with religious codes, perhaps his SS23 offering was an unorthodox subversion of faith. Maybe it was even a rejection of any kind of higher power; whatever the case, it was absolutely ethereal.
Photography courtesy of Willy Chavarria.
