The world stopped when Willy Chavarria announced he would show his Fall/Winter 2025 collection in Paris. In recent years, the American designer has established himself as a staple in the New York fashion calendar. Understandably, when news broke of his move to the French capital, the industry’s ears perked up. From the intersection of his queer and Latino identities to the decay of the American dream, much of Chavarria’s visual language is rooted in remixing what heritage means. How would his ethos of social change adapt to its new location? Whatever lingering doubt there might have been about his Paris debut, the designer eradicated. But he didn’t do it alone—he came with a supporting cast. On the runway, Ozuna, Lyas, Becky G, and Honey Dijon walked as J. Balvin (sporting a freshly shaved head) sang. A champion of inclusivity, Chavarria wasn’t swayed by the Parisian amnesia about its commitment to diversify the runway. His ethos has always been one of reform.

Chavarria is known for his interpretations of classic workwear and, more recently, tailoring. His Fall/Winter 2025 collection, named Tarantula, was an expansion of his previous experiments. The show opened with a rosary-wielding model in a structured red velvet suit. Similarly crimson roses bloomed from the jacket’s lapel and the cowboy hat sitting atop the model’s head. A series of suits followed, interrupted only by cropped belted jackets. The tailoring peppered throughout the collection made formality a matter of choice, with suits ranging from incredibly structured to opulently oversized.

Workwear was explored primarily through womenswear. Cropped canvas jackets were paired with pencil skirts, while fitted shirt-and-skirt coords shared grid patterns. An American in Paris, Chavarria hit some of the stereotypical goals: cowboys galore walked the runway with matching hats, hankies and boots. Alongside the Western elements, familiar Parisian references appeared in tweed jackets with rounded collars and shiny gold buttons.

Chavarria plays with what’s within his reach. Set inside a church, models holding rosaries contrasted with the sudden appearance of a red underwear-and-T-shirt set emblazoned with the word ‘Diablo.’ The hellish imagery was corroborated by a dramatic tonal shift around look 50. As the lights turned red, Chavarria’s ongoing Adidas collaboration was highlighted. He continues to play with the expectations of silhouette in athleisure, with a track jacket featuring leg-of-mutton sleeves, for example. And just as the collaborative pieces came out, so did the Willy Boys—a group of Latinx men who serve as Chavarria’s muses. On their bodies: branded boxers with their waistbands peeking out from satin culottes, and nothing else.

As Chavarria stepped onto the runway to meet a clapping crowd, a prayer reverberated inside the gothic building. “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” Bishop Reverend Mariann Budde’s speech to Donald Trump earlier this week played as the designer took his final bow. No matter where he states it, Chavarria’s message remains as clear as ever: fashion should be wielded for change.