This Chicano Designer Brings The Radical Cholo Spirit To Fashion

The cholo subculture is contentious. Even among some Mexican Americans, the street-wise aesthetic that was birthed in East Los Angeles’s Chicanx community can get derided for its resistance to white American assimilation and its loose affiliation with gangsterism. But for fashion designer Willy Chavarria, the spirit of the cholo is everything. His eponymous label embraces the unique style that he saw growing up in California in the 80s and 90s, taking the looks of the Chicanxs prowling the streets of LA in lowriders and transporting that to the vaunted runways of New York Fashion Week. Traditionally, the cholo look is typified by workwear basics, like clean button-down shirts and oversized Dickies. The khakis in particular are worn with tight belts that cinch the waist and create pleats. The backs of the pants are often pinned up so that they don’t drag on the floor. Today, Chavarria’s interpretation of this style comes in both denim and wool, with oversized waist bands that are folded and snapped into place to create the same effect. “I loved the fact that [the cholo] was a distinct identity,” the Mexican American designer said to me inside his flagship store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. “It was about taking these clothes that weren’t high fashion and making it high fashion. I always appreciated that.” You can see this approach in everything he does, like the extra long belt from the brand’s recent collaboration with Brandblack, which looks like it could easily be an heirloom passed down from a tough older brother. Read more at Vice.