Oftentimes, it takes leaving home to become inspired beyond the world you have come to know and find the deepest part of yourself. That was one of the first steps taken by eponymous menswear designer Willy Chavarria, the 2023 American Menswear Designer of the Year, who took a risk leaving San Joaquin Valley, California, to meet new challenges in design and execute his great imaginations for himself in fashion.

After being recognized for his fresh contributions to American fashion, Chavarria addressed the crowd with poise. “I feel incredibly loved. When I first started in fashion, I always wanted to be an outsider. I never wanted to be in the fashion scene. As I have matured in fashion, I realized that the scene is full of people who have worked tirelessly to make this industry work. To be honored amongst some of the most successful people in the world is truly heartfelt.”

Chavarria appreciates his social identities and believes it is essential for it to be connected to his brand’s values.

“I think any designer will take their experiences and who they are to leverage their brands. I do not think it is possible for me to be a real artist or a real designer without knowing who I am in my heart, my mind, and my soul,” he stated in an interview. “All of my social identities will always be a part of my work and it does not mean that I will not evolve, try different approaches, or create garments that are different from what I am doing now. But at the core of design, I will create using my own story.”

Since leaving California, Chavarria has connected with people through their dress and stylistic expressions, curating a leading American brand that resembles a sense of home built on his cultural identities. The brand is a true extension of self, and it opens the minds of people outside his communities. His fashion practices have consisted of studying the way people dressed themselves which influenced his conceptual design aesthetic and encouraged him to take risks and new approaches in menswear.

“I grew up in an area that did not have a lot of fashion innovation. My inspiration has come from looking at how people styled themselves to tell a story about their cultural identities or groups they were associated with. It is not the fashion people that I am looking at ever. I am looking at how people on the streets, bank tellers, doormen, and janitors are presented and if their dress practices are functional,” Chavarria said. “When you look at someone who is fashionable, you see they have it figured out. But if you look at somebody who has not dressed in fashionable looks, there are a lot of possibilities and potential to actually create what is not present.”

There are rich attributes of Latin culture that ignited Chavarria’s flame to resist the fashion system’s traditions.

“A lot of designers in the fashion industry have always been inspired by the cool kids on the street or the people who are turning it out on the streets. More than often those street archetypes show up later in the mainstream fashion stage. Similarly, I believe there are many parts of Latino culture, especially Chicano culture that have been interpreted through streetwear and a lot [of] other cultures have borrowed from Chicano culture.”

Chavarria added, “I value celebrating Chicano as it is and not through the lens of outsiders. For my Spring Summer 2024 collection, I brought in elements of Latino design and influence from different time periods such as the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and the 1990s. I have always been a huge fan of the baggy trouser, I grew up wearing it and still wearing it now. The baggy trouser comes from the Pachuco counterculture in the late 1930s.”

Beauty has played a vital role in curating Willy Chavarria that loudens Latin subcultures and communities.

“Beauty goes beyond appearance. It is less about someone’s good skin but more about their depth of expression. I prefer to work with people who have been through a challenge in one way or another. I believe there is a depth of vision and creativity when you overcome a challenge,” Chavarria explained.

“One of the fundamental parts of my brand is giving opportunities to people. I always include people who align with the stories I am telling. They are always at the front of my mind in the very beginning. When I am sharing my culture, my ambition is to reinterpret what I see and understand. Then I tell the story back in a way that is familiar, beautiful, and feels good because people can relate to it.”

Undoubtedly, Willy Chavarria’s beautiful silhouettes are extraordinary, especially for individuals who are motivated to be heard and seen.

“The oversized silhouettes have always had a bit of a political connotation because it is about the space that we occupy. I found it important for people who have not been given the dignity of space or had their space taken from them to reclaim territory by wearing these pieces that forces us to be seen and acknowledged. In addition, no matter what gender is wearing Willy Chavarria, the brand is all about empowerment and confidence, ” he stated.

Although it may be terrifying to step outside of the box, the world awaits to see and hear your impactful visions come to fruition when you connect deeper to your inner self for the ultimate win.