The Chalhoub Group [is a] blue-chip investor, [with] expertise in business growth, development, opening of stores. To have someone like them on my board that I can communicate with about all the details of the company, the goals, making sure we reach the goals — it’s exactly what I need to follow the ambitious growth patterns I have.
Vogue: You mentioned stores. Is there anything you can tell us about a Willy Chavarria store?
Oh, I can’t wait. It is going to be very cool. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t spoil the surprise. We are looking to open one within the next 12 months: the first one in New York, the second one in Paris, then LA, Tokyo.
Vogue: I understand that global expansion is part of the dream and that beyond Europe, you’re looking at Asia. How does your very Mexican American style, this vatisimo, translate in places like Asia. What’s your experience been?
Well, you know what’s interesting is that my brand first started in Tokyo. I was based in New York, and I had a little store on Sullivan Street selling another brand that I had, called Palmer Trading Company; I licensed it out to Asia, but it was very Americana. And I started a little label called Willy Chavarria, and I had just a few pieces hanging in the store to see what would happen. Bay Crews from Japan came in, a distributor, and they picked up the line. So I started selling in Japan before I even sold to Barneys or anyone in New York.
I think it’s the brand messaging that is key. It’s ultimately about embracing identity, human dignity, and the power of love. As corny as that sounds, it’s very much what it is, and that message resonates very clearly and strongly, especially today with all the things happening in the world. And that message is what cuts through to people.
When people buy something from my brand, they’re kind of aligning themselves with that message. It’s not just the quality or the beauty or the color, it’s the fact that they know they’re aligning with a message that’s bigger than all of us.
Vogue: I’m thinking back. I think it was the September before the last presidential election in the US, and you partnered with the ACLU. You printed out little pamphlets with the US Constitution, which was a very pointed gesture without being partisan, I thought. What are the benefits and risks of incorporating politics into fashion?
I strongly believe that fashion is very political. Whether you’re trying to be or not, you are political. That’s just the way it is. Just like in anything we do in life, we’re political.
I know a lot of people are timid right now, because they’re fearful of what kind of actions might be taken against them if they speak in favor of human rights. But I’ve found from a personal perspective and from a business perspective, people want to be recognized for how they feel, and they want to connect with a message that touches them, that they can feel inside and that they agree with.
