Willy Chavarria sent physical invitations to his Spring 2026 show formatted like an immigration summons. “Open immediately,” the envelope read. But upon its unfolding, a letter certified your inalienable “Right to Exist,” summoning his guests to appear for a “Presentation of Humanity.” So set the tone for his Spring 2025 runway show today in Paris, his second outing in the city of lights.
To begin, 35 solemn men in white T-shirts and shorts made in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opened the show. They walked down the red-carpeted runway and assumed a kneeling position, heads bowed, as many are forced to do in detention facilities and prisons. He paid tribute to the Salvadoran prisons where people are being profiled and persecuted with no due process, and the dehumanization of immigrants in the United States.
The collection is dubbed “Huron,” after Chavarria’s hometown in California’s Central Valley. It was soundtracked to “California Dreamin’” and “Te Mereces Un Amor,” which roughly translates to “You Deserve a Love,” by Vivir Quintana. Styled by Carlos Nazario, the collection paid tribute to Chavarria’s Chicano heritage—many more veterano shirts, dresses, and shorts this season—and continued to subvert not only corporate tropes, but those of incarceration, labor, even sports, with uniforms both exaggerated and distorted. One man’s look featured a coral nylon tracksuit over a coordinating sweatshirt and pink shirt, pants tucked into socks and loafers. For one woman’s ensemble, Chavarria showed a beautiful dandelion yellow top and skirt warped with padded shoulders and a nipped waist. Alongside his head of design, Rebecca Mendoza, Chavarria drew inspiration from films by Pedro Almodóvar and Wong Kar-wai.
“America” appeared upside down on T-shirts, a critique of how deeply backward everything is right now. But his rebellion wasn’t always so overt. Bold colors and resplendent materials not only challenged a bland wash of quiet luxury but also celebrated the identities of proud immigrants. His first look featured a mint green suit with a pale blue shirt and a pastel pink tie. “Brights are not just decorative, they’re defiant,” reads the press release, citing papaya, red hot, uniform green, concrete, and masa as examples.
Chavarria showed more womenswear than ever this season, a category he is excited to keep expanding, along with the debut of the first complete accessories collection. And it was punctuated by the third installation of the Adidas Originals x Willy Chavarria collaboration. After decamping from New York to Paris last season, Chavarria is proving he’s in the big leagues of fashion now, but he’s doing things a little differently than the typical mold. And thank god for that. He never forgets his community and where he came from. To close the show, Chavarria presented roses to his tearful family members in the front row.
“I’m not interested in luxury as a symbol of privilege. I’m interested in luxury as a symbol of truth in one’s own character,” says Chavarria in the press release. “Exquisite tailoring and craftsmanship worn to elevate one’s personal intent—that’s power. That’s fashion.”
Paris Men’s Fashion Week was full of excitement—many of the collections, especially the debuts, have been great. Fashion often provides an escape from the darkness; it’s part of why we love it so much. But the air around us is wrought with war, discrimination, and fear. Chavarria was one of the few, if not the only, designers this week to use his platform to send a powerful message, to pull us out of our sartorial reverie and remind us there’s a great deal of work to be done. And he did it without sacrifice. Amidst the political statements, there was joy in celebration of expression, no matter where it comes from.
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