Latino Designer Willy Chavarría’s Paris Fashion Show Draws Criticism From El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele

Latino Designer Willy Chavarría’s Paris Fashion Show Draws Criticism From El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele
Credit: Wiki Commons and TikTok

Paris Fashion Week closed its runway with a show that drew attention across continents after Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele denounced the display as a celebration of criminality. The show, created by designer Willy Chavarría, featured tattooed male models kneeling in white t-shirts and shorts, an image that resembled the uniform and posture enforced inside the CECOT prison complex in El Salvador.

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Fashion has always been political — and it always will be. Willy Chavarria opened his SS26 show with a powerful tribute to the thousands unlawfully detained by ICE. He continues to use his platform to advocate for his community and his home state of California. @willychavarrianewyork #willychavarria #pfw

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Chavarría, born in the United States to Mexican parents, is recognized for his ability to fuse high fashion with themes that carry cultural resonance. His designs frequently speak to the experience of Latino communities and immigrant families, delivering that message through runways usually reserved for fantasy and status. By placing such narratives on stages as prominent as Paris Fashion Week, he continues to push conversations that often remain absent in global fashion.

This season’s presentation opened with a powerful visual reference to current immigration enforcement in the United States. Models entered the runway in formation, dressed in oversized white shirts and loose shorts, kneeling one after the other with their hands behind their backs. Their shaved heads mirrored the treatment of individuals processed into detention centers, including the CECOT facility.

A Message Shared and Amplified

President Bukele responded publicly through social media, condemning the show and accusing its creators of glorifying people he considers dangerous to society. He posted a video clip of a woman expressing fear about life in France and added a remark implying that leniency toward criminal imagery comes at the cost of public safety. Elon Musk reshared the post, bringing international attention to the president’s critique.

In another message, Bukele made a sarcastic offer to send prisoners from CECOT to Paris, suggesting the show had welcomed their presence in symbolic form. His administration doubled down on the critique, stating that the models’ postures and presentation aligned with imagery from the country’s most controversial prison, where numerous Venezuelans have been sent following deportation from the United States without formal charges.

CECOT and Allegations of Abuse

CECOT is considered one of the largest detention centers in Latin America. The prison has been central to Bukele’s campaign against gangs, carried out under a national state of exception that has enabled warrantless arrests and prolonged detention. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and local NGOs have condemned the conditions within the prison, pointing to overcrowding, lack of due process, and reports of torture. According to their research, thousands of people have been detained without evidence. Around 400 deaths have been recorded in custody.

The criticism surrounding the prison intensified following reports that over 200 Venezuelan migrants had been transferred to CECOT after being deported from the United States. Human rights advocates have raised concerns about the legal basis for their detention and their inability to contact lawyers or family members. These concerns formed part of a public statement by Amnesty International, which accused both El Salvador and the United States of perpetuating a system of repression rather than offering humanitarian protection.

The World Is Watching as Is Willy Chavarría

While the Salvadoran government continues to defend its policies as effective security measures, international watchdogs remain critical.

Bukele’s administration has dismissed allegations of abuse and continues to promote its model of incarceration, even as symbolic acts in global cultural arenas, such as Paris Fashion Week, offer new platforms for criticism. And for designers like Willy Chavarría, who use fashion to reflect the struggles of real communities, those platforms remain vital tools of visibility and dialogue.

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