Willy Chavarria is the Initial Fashion Designer Appointed as An ACLU Artist Ambassador

The pioneering Mexican-American designer will advocate for the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQIA community alongside the American Civil Liberties Union.

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In alignment with the ACLU’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ and immigration rights, Chavarria collaborates with individuals such as actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and culinary icon Padma Lakshmi, who have allied with the organization to safeguard the human rights and liberties of all individuals.

Art, music, and fashion can significantly influence our understanding and advocacy for social justice and human dignity. “I am pleased to further leverage my platform for the empowerment of others,” Chavarria stated in a communication to WWD.

The announcement follows Chavarria's SS26 runway show in Paris, which opened with a critique of US President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Models attired in white uniforms sat in a linear arrangement with their heads bowed, emphasizing the reported terrible circumstances in immigrant detention centers. The SS26 show coincided with the launch of a partnership with the Human Rights Campaign and Tinder, reintroducing the “How we love is who we are” graphic shirts from his FW25 presentation.

In January, the designer utilized his FW25 Paris launch as a platform for dissent. During the concluding procession, a recording of Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s admonitory sermon for Trump’s inauguration was played, imploring the president for “mercy” towards immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals.

After the announcement of his participation in the ACLU’s Creatives for Freedom campaign in April, the designer stated, “At this moment, more than any other in our lifetime, our actions and words must serve to safeguard human dignity and our human rights”. “We must unite to demonstrate our cohesion.” The ACLU plays a crucial role in directing our efforts to safeguard and uphold democracy”, he continued.