’s shows have been lavish and opulent displays of his brand codes: over-the-top originality with deep emotion, dynamic casting of real people who serve as his muses, and plays on proportion galore. And then there are his venues—churches, old-school barber shops, classic New York City monuments.
The collection opened with a short film directed by Chavarria, which showed his models and muses wearing the clothing before the real runway show even started. Dubbed “Safe From Harm,” the collection tells a story about collectively keeping each other secure. “Ultimately, the collection is about love and protection,” Charavia said on a Zoom call the day before the show. “That’s really the base storyline.