At Salle Pleyel in Paris, Willy Chavarria staged HURON, a Spring Summer 2026 collection that defied the conventions of fashion week with a grounded, urgent message. Opening with thirty-five men in ACLU T-shirts, the show immediately shifted into protest mode. The garments referenced Salvadoran prisons where people are held without due process, a reminder that for Chavarria, clothing always carries context.
SPRING SUMMER 2026
The collection returned to the designer’s roots in Huron, California while expanding into a global narrative that touched on identity, belonging, and expression. This was a show about migration, visibility, and strength. Tailoring remained precise but never ornamental. Materials were luxurious, fabrics milled exclusively in Italy, yet never divorced from meaning.
Color became its own form of rebellion. Instead of defaulting to neutrals, Chavarria chose brights like Chicle, Papaya, and Red Hot. These hues challenged the muted aesthetic often linked to “serious” fashion, asking what it means to code resistance into saturation. The accessories debut built further on that argument. With the “W” strap as a design anchor, the bags, crafted in rich Italian leather, felt both symbolic and practical, extending the narrative of self-determined beauty.
Beyond fashion, the show revealed Chavarria’s growing universe. Homage to women came through pencil skirts, trench dresses, and Almodóvar-inspired suits designed alongside Rebeca Mendoza. Footwear collaborations added new energy, from the continuation of his adidas Originals partnership to a landmark moment: the debut of his collaboration with Charles Jourdan. These shoes reinterpreted archival silhouettes through a raw, sensual lens, designed for women who write their own script.
Return to Vendor (RTV) eyewear and swimwear, created from reclaimed fishing nets, further emphasized sustainability through circular design. These details weren’t add-ons. They were fundamental to a worldview in which beauty and ethics cannot be separated.
From the sculptural leather tailoring to a custom gaming console by Hommemade, SS26 was more than a collection, it was a fully formed ecosystem. Guests like Paloma Elsesser, Becky G, Stefon Diggs, Sevdaliza, and Mia Khalifa watched as Chavarria presented a clear case: fashion, when done with integrity, can confront power, propose new forms, and offer dignity where it’s been denied.
