4 July, 2025

On Willy Chavarria SS26, refined subversion and a menswear succession moment

“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. Exquisite tailoring and craftsmanship worn to elevate one’s personal intent — that’s power. That’s fashion.” Willy Chavarria, SS26

Boy, was I fortunate to see this quote in action last Friday, from my Paris menswear front row seat at Salle Pleyel. From the sober-but-powerful opening scene (to José Feliciano’s California Dreamin’) of 35 men in long white tees, shorts and socks, referencing the recent dehumanisation of U.S immigrants in Salvadoran prisons, the collection then went on to exuberantly reflect Chavarria’s personal exploration of identity, resistance and “refined subversion”.









Importantly, this collection also marked a clear entry for Willy Chavarria into the womenswear market. A veteran of Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren (and two-time CFDA Menswear of the Year), his menswear credentials are rock solid, but a concerted push as a designer offering everything from RTW to handbags and shoes is a much bigger deal. Once you enter the realms of womenswear proper, you can embrace beauty, fragrance, jewellery, accessories — the world really is your oyster.

To facilitate all this, Chavarria leaned on his head of design, Rebeca Mendoza to create the women’s silhouettes (which represent 50% of the collection), emphatic that he didn’t want to be another designer designing womenswear from a purely gay male perspective. “We work really closely to make sure that we’re designing for how women want to be seen rather than for how men want to see them,” he said.

For me, the men’s and womenswear complemented each other in perfect harmony. As a woman I would be more than happy wearing the casual coach jackets, boxer shorts and puff-shouldered blazer from the men’s collection. But those fluid Italian leather trench dresses in butter yellow and cloqué siren skirts have the power to propel the womenswear to magazine covers and red carpets.

On which note, we must take a moment to appreciate these colour combinations. Cinematic turquoise and pink, yellow and blue, magenta and Coke can-red – if it’s making you recall Wong Kar-Wai or Pedro Almodovar, that’s because those were the filmic influences. Chavarria also referenced worker’s uniforms and described using “colour as a form of rebellion” in dark political times.

One standout colour was a saturated hue called ‘Bourdin blue’, a knowing nod to one of the major elements of the collection. SS26 sees Willy Chavarria collaborate with the heritage French footwear brand Charles Jourdan*, whose surrealist Guy Bourdin-photographed ad campaigns revolutionised fashion advertising in the 70s .The sleek golden-heel pumps, 100mm ankle straps and delicately chain-strapped disco sandals are replicas of the 1970s originals that famously tripped the streets of Paris and the dancefloors of Studio 54 (although these latest beauties are remade in vastly superior leathers). Seeing them up close in the re-see showroom, I was struck by how incredibly contemporary they look nearly 50 years later.

The overwhelmingly positive reaction to the show reminded me of all the essential moving parts that work together to define a landmark fashion show. If you’re there in the room, you have to feel emotion – that’s the thing that makes it memorable. And that comes from a combination of staging, casting, styling and music. Plus, just a little bit of magic. Vivir Quintana’s live vocal was heart-stopping, while the show’s movement coordinator Pat Boguslawski was the same person responsible for 2024’s internet-breaking Margiela couture show.

The styling details – colourful layers, visible boxers, turned-back cuffs, egalitarian key charms – gave a defiant attitude that’s become classic Chavarria. And I don’t think I’m the only one who visibly gasped at Omahyra’s swaggering out in her midnight blue trench and baggy pants. And again in the finally, flanking Willy alongside – OMG! – Farida Khelfa! In Willy’s words, the effect was “powerful, strong, yet feminine”.

We’re in an interesting – potentially pivotal – moment in menswear right now. Both Ralph Lauren (age 85) and Giorgio Armani (age 90) are ageing out of the sphere of influence, possibly releasing their stronghold for something altogether different after a circa-50-year monopoly.

Jonathan Anderson’s entry at Dior also points to change. In addition, it feels like the 2020s are only just beginning, since we lost the first few years to Covid. Then there’s all the shit going down in the world, from toxic masculinity to billionaire-ocracies to A.I’s underlying threat to humanity traditional power structures.

People often question if fashion truly has the ability to influence how we live and experience the world. Well, designers like Willy Chavarria are certainly offering us the chance to take stock as we witness the impending shift.

Watch the show here.

*Disclosure: I’ve been consulting with Charles Jourdan recently

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: to come
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

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