Back in January, Willy Chavarria staged his FW26 show at Dojo de Paris, unveiling a dramatic West Side Story-esque musical extravaganza. Chavarria’s cast of characters played out a series of vignettes, kitted out in the designer’s signature jumpsuits, bomber jackets, tailored denim and louche suiting. Newly released, the collection’s accompanying campaign is charged with that same rampant energy present at the show – a celebration of desire and the freedom to exist on your own terms.

Titled Autoerotica, the 1970s-inspired campaign is photographed by Diego Bendezu and features Chavarria’s striking street-cast models who embody the diverse stories of America present in so many of the designer’s collections. Speaking to us below, Chavarria unpicks the story behind his sexed-up campaign, the energy he looks for in the casting process and why the 70s are at the centre of his mood board.

“I can’t cast from a photo. I’ve got to see how someone moves and where they rest their eyes.”

Ella Joyce: The FW26 campaign is titled Autoerotica; what’s the story behind that?
Willy Chavarria: Eroticism in everyday fashion and cars. Hot engines, steamy windows, oiled-up pistons. That’s the vibe. There’s been such a shift away from fashion being sensual. I wanted us to feel hot again.

EJ: What’s the inspiration behind the campaign’s visual references?
WC: There is an imaginary storyline about a woman leaving a gala and picking up a hustler on her way home. She returns home to find her wife cheating on her with another man. She kills him. They put him in the trunk and haul him out to the East River to be dumped. Something like that.

“There is an imaginary storyline about a woman leaving a gala and picking up a hustler on her way home.”

EJ: Nods to the 1970s can be felt throughout the imagery; what is it about the decade that inspires you?
WC: The 70s were wildly sexual. There was no such thing as quiet luxury. Even if you wore beige, you made it sexy. It was revolutionary for women to embrace their sexuality with such conviction. It’s good to remember that we own our sexuality.

EJ: How would you describe the Willy Chavarria cast of characters? What energy do you look for?
WC: I look for people who aren’t afraid to feel. I like people who wear their personal identity with courage and grace. I can’t cast from a photo. I’ve got to see how someone moves and where they rest their eyes.

EJ: What song/album best fits the mood of this season’s campaign? 
WC: Patrick Cowley, From Behind