willy chavarria

interview

by OLIVIER ZAHM 

story by Stevie and Mada

 

The flamboyant Angeleno designer Willy Chavarria, now showing his spectacular collections in Paris, draws on colorful religious and Chicano iconography to convey a universal message of inclusivity, political resistance, and gender fluidity — a message that he wants to truly resonate in the streets rather than on digital platforms.

 

OLIVIER ZAHM — This issue is about analog culture and against the digitalization of the world. I view fashion as an analog experience: it’s about the physical, the senses, and lived moments. Let’s start with your spectacular show, Tarantula, in a church in Paris. I was very impressed by how much energy and how many ideas you put into it. It was a total experience. How do you approach fashion shows?

WILLY CHAVARRIA — The most…