Uniforms and workwear have long been a fascination of California-born designer Willy Chavarria, who worked for stalwart American labels Joe Boxer, American Eagle and Ralph Lauren before beginning his much-acclaimed eponymous label in 2015. Part of the Wallpaper* USA 300, his distinct aesthetic sees him infuse his collections with references to his Mexican-American heritage and the melting pot of cultures he witnesses in his home city of New York.
A new collaboration, released this month, sees Chavarria unite with Dickies – perhaps the United States’ most well-known workwear brand – on a nine-piece capsule collection spanning work shirts, pants and jackets. The designs first featured as part of Chavarria’s S/S 2023 show, which was held at Manhattan’s 1628-founded Marble Collegiate Church and featured dramatic, ecclesiastical silhouettes fused with the designer’s signature oversized riffs on American streetwear.
Willy Chavarria x Dickies
The nine-piece capsule collection spanning work shirts, pants and jackets
‘I’ve known the wonderful Ann [Richardson], Dickies director of merchandising, for a long time now,’ Chavarria tells Wallpaper* of the roots of the collaboration. ‘We first worked together with my previous company, Palmer Trading [a Manhattan store and creative collective owned by Chavarria which focussed on America-made menswear] on a pair of Dickies jeans. Ann and I have been speaking about a Willy Chavarria x Dickies collection for some time and when I started thinking about the S/S 2023 collection it felt like the perfect time to bring the collaboration to life.‘
Chavarria, who grew up in Fresno, California, remembers buying a pair of Dickies trousers from his local Kmart as a teenager. ‘It’s a brand that I grew up with. I must have been around 12 or 13 when I bought my first pair,’ he says. ‘It’s very special to get to design a collection for a brand that I have grown up wearing and admiring. To me, the most elegant look will always be a clean, pressed pair of Dickies pants worn with a crisp white T-shirt.’
‘The most elegant look will always be a clean, pressed pair of Dickies pants worn with a crisp white T-shirt,’ says Chavarria
The pieces themselves see Chavarria ‘take the iconic Dickies styles and reinterpret them with a contemporary and artistic touch,‘ he explains. Pieces include long wide-leg tailored shorts and trousers which sit high on the waist, an oversized version of the classic Dickies short-sleeved work shirt, and a Harrington-style jacket. ’The collection first featured in the S/S 2023 collection, which was all about combining bold silhouettes, romantic tailoring and functionality,’ Chavarria describes.
As for what Chavarria thinks he shares with Dickies, he notes a joint ‘admiration for workwear and utilitarian design, inclusivity, functionality, craftsmanship and authenticity. All these elements have remained that the heart of the collaboration and the designs themselves.’
Dramatic, oversized fits reflect the ‘bold silhouettes, romantic tailoring and functionality’ of his S/S 2023 collection
‘[This collection] is a great representation of how Dickies seeks to highlight our heritage, quality workwear products while also championing creative vision,’ adds Richardson. ‘We’re thrilled to work with a style icon like Willy Chavarria to create a collection that highlights our shared passions of authentic style and self-expression.’
The Willy Chavarria x Dickies exclusive capsule is available online at willychavarria.com and dickies.com, as well as in-store at Bergdorf Goodman.
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