There was a lot happening at Willy Chavarria's Spring/Summer 2019: pre-show Chavarria offered a close up of his collaborative collection with Danish label Hummel as 7 models did sprints and stretched as the guests were herded in. They stayed on the runway and kicked off a two-part collection that was full of social references and activism. His main line collection was full of late 90s, early 2000s nostalgia with visages of the Twin Towers and a commentary on the state of America via upside down motifs seen on the 90s preferred label: Polo Sport. Meanwhile oversized denim were tucked into Timberland boots - a clear nod to the trend during that time. The commentary did not stop there, of course, US Representative Maxine Waters - the longest running African American Congresswoman and foe to the one who shan't be named - was plastered on a tee with "fighter" written over her in bold lettering. Circling back to the Willy Chavarria x Hummel collection: it's a collaboration that will first be used to clothe undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers, the labels will help to ensure these people who need aid will get it. Though Chavarria may not be a household name yet, his authentic viewpoint and fighter attitude will prove that he will definitely be one of the more influential designers to come out of NYFWM.

Willy Chavarria took us from a seedy gay bar last season to the streets of American metropolises this season. The designer's focus on realism continues to pay dividends with collections that meld a societal narrative with wonderful clothes that juxtapose the theme. This season, there were plenty of hard-edged clothes from slouchy bombers to oversized plaids and chunky jewelry, all on tattooed and pierced models, the types of people some Americans may see as dangerous or would rather not be in this country. However, the clothes themselves (and likely the wearers) are soft and delicate once you get past the veneer. Chavarria used super soft cottons from Peru to create many of the knits while baby alpaca added a soft and luxurious element to the collection.