FASHION: Designer Willy Chavarria Takes a Look at Latino Masculinity Through a Queer Fashion Lens.
Willy Chavarria is no stranger to making political and social statements, with previous collections touching on themes around immigration and gender identity.
For his latest collection, however, the designer maintains that it is more about putting positivity out in the world. Speaking to Vogue, Chavarria said: “My past collections have all been really political, and it’s super important for me to send messages in my clothes,” he said. “But here, it was also important to not make a pointed political statement. I just wanted the beauty of the clothing and the models to speak for themselves”.
But while the statement may not be “pointed”, it is, nonetheless, still very present. As them points out: “...the core of his work has always been based on a delicate calibration between queerness and Latino masculinity. It balances the macho imagery of the low-riders he draws inspiration from — both in the clothing itself and those he casts to wear it — with inherently queer elements”.
“Long sleeve button down-shirts were crafted in check prints and solid colours while featuring oversized collars that stretched out past the shoulders. Shirts of similar styles were also showcased with reconstructed sleeves that were hollowed out and stopped a few inches shy of the wrist. Short-sleeve quarter-zip shirts received the same attention and were elevated by their varying volumes. Jackets were multidimensional and colourful as Chavarria utilised materials such as satin, cotton, denim and leather,” writes Hypebeast. The overall aesthetic blurred the lines of traditional “masculine” and “feminine” silhouettes.
For more info, be sure to visit the brand’s website.
