PARIS, February 28, 2024 – Designer Willy Chavarria is redefining the fashion game, leveraging partnerships with major brands like Adidas and Grindr not just for exposure, but as a core business strategy that fuels his creative vision and expands his reach.
Corporate Collaborations as a Business Model
Table of Contents
Chavarria is turning brand partnerships into a lucrative revenue stream, offering consultancy services and expanding his brand’s influence.
- Chavarria’s collaborations with brands like adidas, Tinder, and Grindr are integral to his business model.
- He launched Creative Services, offering visual consultancy to brands, effectively doubling his income streams.
- He is committed to accessibility and representation, launching a diffusion line called Big Willy to offer more affordable options.
Chavarria’s approach is a calculated one. He doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the motivations of these large corporations. “These companies, they’re desperate for cultural validity,” Chavarria stated. “I’m not stupid, I no what I’m giving them. I am offering a pathway to a demographic that brings them business, a way to connect with people that corporations can’t always figure out how to reach.”
Photographer ellen Fedors.
Expanding the Business Through Consultancy
This work with corporate sponsors has evolved into a business in itself for Chavarria. He launched Creative Services,offering visual consultancy to brands and partners. “It’s been like a side hustle for me,” he explained. Creative Services allows him to produce and conceptualize campaigns and projects, with the resulting income reinvested into his brand. Corporations approach him for partnerships, and he effectively transforms them into clients, creating a dual income stream.
He also recently teamed up with Grindr for a show. “I’m really happy to partner with them because, first of all, I’m here to support anything gay,” he said with a laugh. “Grindr is used for sex, for a hookup, but they have this interesting perspective on how they celebrate a very elevated perspective of gay culture.”
Accessibility and Representation
Chavarria is now focused on expansion, collaborating with talent and producing luxury clothing, but remains committed to his original audience. He’s launching a diffusion line called Big Willy, offering more affordable versions of the designs he first became known for-tees with slogans and prints, oversized hoodies and tracksuits, and even underwear. “I want to provide a world that people can immerse themselves in,” he said, “knowing that not all can afford my $800 jeans, but they could afford the $150 Big Willy pieces.”
Looking ahead, Chavarria envisions expanding his vision beyond a solely Latino focus.”It’s not always going to be latino centric, but at this exact moment right now, I think it’s necessary for the world to see Latinos in all our glory,” he said. “In the most gorgeous clothes, singing the most beautiful music. This needs to be on the highest pedestal I can possibly manage, and I will do whatever I can do for the world to see that.”
