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Willy Chavarría just made fashion history — and not on the runway. Following his politically charged SS26 show in Paris, the American designer has become the first fashion figure ever named an artistic ambassador by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The Paris presentation set the tone: models in stark white uniforms stood in solemn formation, heads bowed — a clear reference to conditions in U.S. immigration detention centers, and a searing critique of Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance. It was a moment of quiet rebellion, rooted in Chavarría’s longtime commitment to advocacy. The show also reintroduced a collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign and Tinder, reviving his “How we love is who we are” T-shirts from AW25.
By joining the ACLU, Chavarría steps into a role previously occupied by figures like Padma Lakshmi and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, using his platform to elevate immigrant and LGBTQIA+ rights.
“Art, music, and fashion can have tremendous impact on how we realize and promote social justice,” Chavarría told WWD. “I’m happy to further utilize my platform for the empowerment of others.”
Earlier this year, Chavarría’s Paris debut featured audio from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who called for compassion towards queer and immigrant communities in a sermon during Trump’s inauguration — a message now echoed in his partnership with the ACLU’s Creatives for Freedom campaign.
For Chavarría, fashion isn’t just aesthetic — it’s a battleground for human dignity, resistance, and democracy.
Photo: Lyvans Boolaky / Getty Images