This month’s return of New York Fashion Week is an advent for many designers, including Willy Chavarria, whose conceptual menswear packs an emotional punch. He approaches his eponymous practice with steady intention, not afraid to break the rules in the name of storytelling. For Chavarria, this narrative-driven mindset is built on a direct line of communication with his community — a dialogue he keeps alive thanks to a strong digital presence. “You can talk to people for hours about something but they won’t really hear you,” he says. “But if you show them a beautiful picture that’s telling the story, they will not only hear you, but they will feel you.” With his Squarespace website serving as his gallery, his recent fashion presentation was a real life extension of this. Before the show, Chavarria weaved HYPEBEAST through his creative thought process as he prepared the reveal of his new collection.

It’s impossible to ignore the events of the last year in concepting new designs, and Chavarria has turned his own experience into creative fuel that captures a new era of optimism. “You can just look out the window and see how alive the city has become,” says Chavarria. “This show is going to be full of color, it’s going to be full of excitement, it’s going to paint a story of human endurance in a way that I think will be inspiring.” True to form, Chavarria thinks beyond the confines of a fashion show to bring out the spirit of the collection. Styles from the presentation were available immediately online — a testament to the personal importance of his ongoing conversation with fans and customers — a feat made possible by his digital storefront. “If you show them a beautiful picture that’s telling the story, they will not only hear you, but they will feel you.”

More than just fashion or clothing, Chavarria’s SS22 collection pays homage to those who persevere. Despite this month’s Fashion Week marking a sort of homecoming after a trying year, this is not a new stance for the label. “I would describe my brand as a group of creatives that use fashion as a platform to share the concept of human dignity and human beauty,” says Chavarria. This season, he will focus on the part of the human spirit that endures, no matter what it faces. “Endurance has always been a big part of the brand. I like to celebrate people who endure hardships. It creates a kind of beauty in people.There’s beauty in endurance.” “I would describe my brand as a group of creatives that use fashion as a platform to share the concept of human dignity and human beauty.”

Check out the video above to hear the story behind Willy Chavarria’s latest collection and the importance of his Squarespace website in spreading his vision. Head to Squarespace to learn more about building your own digital storefront.