Willy Chavarria Honors Heritage and Star Power at the 2025 Met Gala with Maluma, Usher, Lauryn Hill, and More

Source: Willy Chavarria

Reported By: Hillary Latos

On the night where fashion and fantasy converge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, designer Willy Chavarria didn’t just attend—he authored a new chapter. The 2025 Met Gala saw Chavarria dressing an ensemble of music icons, film stars, and cultural figures in looks that married personal heritage with high fashion, culminating in a star-studded afterparty hosted with Tequila Don Julio at The Mark Hotel.

Chavarria himself walked the carpet alongside global pop sensation Maluma, both donning custom suits steeped in the aesthetic legacy of the Pachuco—a 1930s-era fashion movement born from Mexican and Latino American resistance. Defined by exaggerated silhouettes and sharp tailoring, Pachuco style was once a form of cultural defiance. On the 2025 Met steps, it became a reclaimed symbol of power, rendered in precise, modern craftsmanship by one of fashion’s most thoughtful storytellers.

The designer's creative fingerprint extended far beyond the red carpet. Usher wore a custom Willy Chavarria design for his performance during the gala, while Ms. Lauryn Hill took the stage in another bespoke look at an exclusive afterparty. Jodie Turner-Smith appeared in a piece from the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, further reinforcing Chavarria’s cinematic, culturally grounded vision.

The celebration continued at The Mark Hotel, where Chavarria partnered with Tequila Don Julio for an afterparty that blurred the line between luxury and intimacy. With stylists Wayman + Micah co-hosting, the event featured signature cocktails—including the custom Chavarria Rosa—and a curated musical set by DJ Marco Neves. Guests also indulged in Jean-Georges' haute hot dogs, served via The Mark’s iconic cart and paired with Tequila Don Julio 1942 minis.

The guest list read like a who’s who of culture and style: Charli XCX, Taraji P. Henson, Shaboozey, Jeremy Allen White, Law Roach, Keith Powers, Willow Smith, Dascha Polanco, Coco Rocha, Noah Lyles, and Leon Bridges all joined the fête, underscoring Chavarria’s gravitational pull across industries.

At the core of the evening’s resonance was Chavarria’s enduring mission: to uplift the underrepresented through fashion as a form of social commentary. His work draws from his Mexican-American identity and reflects a sensitivity to both biography and political discourse. Whether through tailoring that tells untold stories or partnerships that amplify inclusion, Willy Chavarria is consistently shaping fashion as a vehicle for meaning.