Willy Chavarria’s show came with some unexpected swag: copies of the United States Constitution, courtesy of the ACLU, on every seat. It was an appropriate primer for the designer’s spring 2025 collection, titled “América.” And with the election mere months away, the future of this country was evidently on his mind. His show notes paid tribute to those who “labor in the fields, bringing food to our tables, building our cities, making our music, and weaving stories into the fabric of this land.”
Chavarria, who had tequila ready for guests as they arrived, started things off with a mariachi band and a singer performing in front of an American flag. What followed was a vision of American style inspired by his Mexican-American heritage, with a focus on workwear. Trucker hats, oversized chinos, and bandannas all made appearances. Paloma Elsesser and Olympian Noah Lyles were among the familiar faces on the runway, while the boldfaced names in the audience included Tracee Ellis Ross, Ciara, and fellow designer Michael Kors.
After the briefest of intermissions, the recent Latin American Fashion Awards honoree had a surprise in store: the second half of the two-part show played host to a sure-to-fly-off-the-shelves Adidas collaboration. Chavarria put his own stamp on athleisure, complete with jerseys emblazoned with “Chicano.” His ruffled take on the brand’s classic tracksuit was a standout. And the designer took his bow in what just might be the look of the season: an ACLU T-shirt. On the way out, attendees left with their very own “Willy Says Vote” stickers.
Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.
