NYFW Friday: Willy Chavarria and Alaïa

Two powerful shows from Willy Chavarria and Alaïa by Pieter Mulier climaxed the first full day of action in New York Fashion Week, the first a significant political statement, the second an aesthetic proclamation.
 

Staged miles apart physically – Willy Chavarria way downtown on Wall Street, and Alaïa way uptown in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – and artistically, yet each summing up the magnetic lure of New York for foreign creatives. 
 
The day’s most profound show was unquestionably Chavarria, whose fashion statement felt like a huge triumph both for the designer and for BIPOC culture.

Chavarria invited guests to the financial heart of the United States, Wall Street, staging his show inside a disused bank and leaving copies of the American constitution on every seat. Produced by the American Civil Liberties Union, the booklet also contained precise advice on what to do if questioned by the police whether stopped on the street, in a car or in your own home. ACLU also pointedly reminded readers of their rights, from free speech to free assembly, on a sunny Friday in. New York which began with a fashion march to support the right to vote attended by thousands of fashionistas with First Lady Jill Biden present.
 
Entitled ‘América’, spelled with a Spanish ‘E’, Chavarria’s show began with a performance by a mariachi band, and ended with Willy leading his cast in a thunderously applauded finale – all posing underneath a huge Stars and Stripes flag.
 
Throughout the collection was a brilliant visual dissertation on wide ranging roots of BIPOC – meaning black, indigenous, people of color – culture. 

Staged in a dusty construction site, juxtaposed by its cocktails – tequila with red roses – the atmosphere crackled even before the first model appeared.
 
A co-ed show, where the gals wore wide sleeved flight jackets, paired with black shirts and ties; suede blousons with leg o mutton sleeves; or sexy capri pants topped by track jackets.
 
The menswear was tailored with great flourish – from sleeveless flight jackets or reverse pleat matinee idol pants; to zorro jackets and dandy blazers cut with ginormous lapels.
 
Everyone was given a Latino makeover, including veteran 90s superstar Scott Barnhill, made up with pencil moustache and pompadour pomaded hair. 

In a show that unveiled a sensational new capsule collab’ with adidas, the best current expression of downtown active sport cool. 
 
In November, America is poised – inshallah – to finally break through a key historic ceiling – electing a woman president. But one left this show thinking that the United States will never truly be at peace until the original inheritors of this great country – the many clans of BIPOC – have one of their own in the White House. Their day will come. 
 
Attired in a sleeveless sweatshirt reading ACLU, California-born Chavarria took his bow in an extended tour of the runway, like a Roman general celebrating a triumph. Expressing his desire for equal rights and justice in the United States even as he trumpeted his love of his country. The soundtrack playing America the Beautiful by Ray Charles.
 

Alaïa in the Guggenheim

One hour later, the fashion elite gathered on the ground floor of the Guggenheim for Pieter Mulier’s latest collection for the house of Alaïa. The first proper runway show ever staged in the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building.
 

A circular look from Pieter’s last collection in Paris, which reminded him of the Guggenheim’s organic yet geometrical shape, was the wellspring for this show. So much so, the house even added a series of circular benches on which most of the guests perched.
 
After a 40-minute delay, Rihanna appeared in a white circus girl’s leotard and a huge metallic wrap, signaling that the show could begin. It was certainly well worth the wait.
 
Mulier seems increasingly like the ideal successor to the late Azzedine Alaïa. Respectful of the house’s DNA; adroit in playing with the Azzedine’s obsession with jersey; yet canny enough to take plenty of risks with volume.
 
Like Chavarria, who worked for many years for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, Mulier served a long apprenticeship as the right hand man of Raf Simons in four houses. 
 
Now it is his time, as he wowed with masterly editing: flirty tennis skirts paired with micro tops; harem pants finished with micro peplums; flamenco dresses cut like minis. Made entirely print free, but draped with aplomb and a perfect sense of the bias cut this was a collection the models clearly loved wearing. All the way to the cloud like faux fur wrap jackets and cocoon coats in a show where the cast descended the six levels of the spherical museum.
 
Lloyd Wright would surely have loved this show and collection, which won Mulier a two-minute ovation.