On this week’s episode of HYPEBEAST Radio, designer Willy Chavarria explains that he only recently started to consider his work as a form of activism. Energized and incensed by the election of Donald Trump, Chavarria’s work has veered into the realms of the political, embracing the influences of marginalized people of color and LGBTQ communities. He has also taken to sewing messages of dissent and resistance, i.e. tags reading “Capitalism is heartless,” into the details of his clothing.

Willy describes his last collection as a “romance, a story of unity” brought about when “two subcultures—Chicano and the New York leather scene—come together;” to bring this concept to life, Chavarria explains that he and his crew of five coworkers (and a lowrider crew from the Bronx) worked around the clock putting together the presentation at Chelsea’s infamous leather bar, The Eagle.

The designer also speaks on his past working for Joe Boxer, RLX, and the harrowing tale of his first “Ralph Meeting.”

Check out our  sit-down with Willy above. Once you’re done with that, be sure to check out past episodes of HYPEBEAST Radio.