A Cinematic New Chapter In The Willyverse
Review of Willy Chavarria Fall 2026 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
Willy Chavarria’s Fall 2026 presentation was a masterclass in putting the ‘show’ into fashion showmanship.
Fashion week has been known to embrace the spectacle, as evermore lavish sets were dreamt up by designers and their production teams. From forest floors buried under glass displays at Prada, live horses at Stella McCartney, and a rocket taking off in the Grand Palais for Chanel. It’s long been understood that runway shows can take many formats, and depending on the budget and scope of vision there has always been so much to play for when it came to how a collection could be presented to its audience. In what feels like Chavarria’s anthology, so far made up of a trilogy of shows, the designer is using increasingly expansive methods to bring the viewer into his world, without a hint of sanitisation or translation, today’s show felt like a cinematic event that will put the designer on map.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
3 key words that encapsulate the collection
Post-2020 and the realities of the current economic climate has seen many designers phone it in when it comes to the runway show format. Refusing to test anything outside of the standard white catwalk, or industrial concrete space should they want to be perceived as a little ‘edgy’. Willy Chavarria’s last three seasons (including this Fall) have been a welcome challenge for the designer to provide a strong message through the medium. Despite decamping from New York to Paris, he has placed his heritage firmly front and centre, refusing to water-down or sanitize the ‘culture’ for this new audience. Fall 2025, set in the American Cathedral on Avenue George V was a defiant counter-action to the slew of new and updated anti-LGBTQIA+ laws that came into effect that year. His show stood in solidarity with all who live in fear and featured a cast of gay, lesbian, queer, and trans models to drive home the message. Spring 2026 made for necessary, but uncomfortable viewing. As ICE raids were just starting to ramp up 35 men took to the show space and knelt with their hands clasped behind their backs. Symbols of the racial profiling and persecution of minority groups and immigrants, that feels even more pertinent now.
Titled Eterno, ‘Eternal’ in Spanish, and featuring the crucifix (a key symbol of religious faith and Catholic heritage in Latino culture) on the shows teaser post, the message that accompanied today’s show was a soft power method of protest – love via representation, with a closing statement dedicating the show to “All of us that believe in the power of love” cementing the designers intent.
Performed in several acts, and walked by Romeo Beckham, Julia Fox, Farida Khelfa, Saint Jhn and British DJ Goldie. The collection was separated into several strands, giving the wider industry insight into the broad spectrum of Willy Chavarria customer base. A caveat to this is that the designer may also have been calling in his dream rotation of brand faithful’s who he, either now or in the near future, aspires to cater too. As there were a number of competing themes traversing the crosswalk-cum-runway that was todays set design.
Sandwiched in the middle of the show was the designers strongest category – the Adidas-sponsored sportswear. Its football theme a timely tie-in for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, partially taking place in Mexico. It will come as no surprise, after today’s show, should he announce Willy Chavarria as the official fashion brand to Team Mexico in June. On the opposite end his opening suiting looks highlighted his ongoing love for a retro-tinged tailoring moment, with double-breasted blazers buttoned low paired with slightly cropped pants and pops of pink in a shirt or V-neck knit. The vibrant zoot-style suits from previous seasons were tightened-up yet lost none of their vigour when paired with Japanese denim, pastel knits, or a pop of colour in a strategically placed accessory. Vibrant colour combinations challenge convention and were made to be worn by those unafraid to take up space, even at a time when to do so could have life-altering consequences. In a defiant act of rebellion deep purples clashed with mustard, lipstick red and pool blue and canary yellow was suggested as suitable everyday wear. A section of textured sack dresses in a tinsel-like fabric were worn by the female models, one with a satin cape affixed to the back was worn by supermodel Erin O’Connor and may be part of a test-run which suggests possible couture ambitions from the designer. From Tailoring to 1950s couture, Chicano style to football jerseys, at least five competing themes were presented on today’s crosswalk catwalk – which is the perfect way to demonstrate exactly how these styles would intersect in any major metropolitan city on any given day.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Whereas this number of ideas would have looked incohesive if presented in succession on a traditional runway, by seamlessly sectioning the show through live performances and a mini-Telenovela that did not end well for a cast which included Mon Laferte (the Chilean-Mexican singer), Feid (the Colombian singer-songwriter), Mahmood (Italian singer) and Lunay (the Puerto Rican artist) played out as part of today’s production. Additional intermissions came from Latino boy band Santos Bravos.
Willy Chavarria’s Fall 2026 collection was as much about him using a broad brushstroke in his stylistic influences this season as it was about how he enabled them to come together. The show, as in the ambitious staging of a production with so many moving parts, felt more important than the clothes on the runway in this instance. It brought back a style of show we are seeing less and less of with each fashion week, and is marking the designer as one-to-watch on the calendar, if only to get the next chapter of that love-triangle Telenovela!
