Willy Chavarria Confronts ICE Raids at Paris Fashion Week

Willy Chavarria has always treated the runway as a place for bold political statements and his Spring/Summer 2026 show in Paris was no different.

The invitations set the tone: guests received letters designed to look like official immigration documents marked “Open immediately”. But rather than legal threats the message inside proclaimed each person’s “Right to Exist”, inviting them to witness what Chavarria described as a “Presentation of Humanity.”

His show, titled “Huron”, after his hometown in California’s Central Valley, one of the poorest cities in the state with a strong immigrant farmworker community now facing frequent ICE operations, unfolded with powerful imagery.

Men in oversized white T-shirts and shorts walked down the runway before abruptly stopping to drop to their knees. They hung their heads low and placed their hands behind their backs, some forming a row, others gathering in a circle.

The scene was hauntingly familiar, echoing the harrowing images seen in national news of detainees during ICE raids and inmates at El Salvador’s high-security CECOT prison. It served as a stark reminder of the harsh conditions faced by immigrants in the United States and the brutal realities in El Salvador’s overcrowded prisons, where people can be held indefinitely without fair hearings. The collection was created in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization Chavarria deeply supports.

Yet amid the heavy subject matter the fashion itself was captivating. Styled by Carlos Nazario, the collection honored Chavarria’s Chicano heritage while reimagining familiar garments like uniform shirts, workwear-inspired shorts, and tailored pieces through exaggerated silhouettes and stunning color combinations. Chavarria worked alongside his head of design, Rebecca Mendoza, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar and Wong Kar-wai. That influence appeared in the vivid color palettes, romantic details, and cinematic atmosphere woven throughout the collection.

The show’s soundtrack ranged from “California Dreamin’” to Vivir Quintana’s moving “Te Mereces Un Amor” (“You Deserve a Love”), with Quintana herself performing live. Her voice filled the venue, turning the runway into an emotional blend of protest, prayer, and a celebration of Latine resilience during a time of ongoing demonstrations across the U.S.

Throughout his career, Chavarria has made fashion his platform to champion human dignity.

Watch the full runway show below:

‍

‍