Willy Chavarria and Ricardo Seco are known for strong political messaging and collaborations with sportswear brands.  In the current era of anti-immigrant racism enacted by the U.S. federal government, primarily towards people of Latinx heritage, these two designers use their platforms to speak truth to power.  Chavarria grew up in California’s San Joaquin Valley Chicano culture while Seco hails from Mexico City.  They both now work in New York and are known for their outspoken designs.  Comparing their work from the past few years with political realities today shows that current issues have a long history and remain acutely relevant.

Their fashion designs stood out in the Moda Hoy! exhibition shown in Winter 2026 at the Museo Franz Mayer in Mexico City. Originally co-curated by Tanya Meléndez-Escalante, who won the 2026 Vilcheck Prize for Fashion & Culture¹ that honors outstanding immigrants and visionaries, and Melissa Marra-Alvarez, it sought to establish a post-colonial understanding of what is happening in the work of fashion designers living in the Americas who identify as Latinx or Latinamericanx. This exhibition first showed at FIT in New York in 2023. The discussions at an accompanying symposium couldn’t have been more prescient in identifying cultural and political issues in fashion that continue today. They include: identity, representation, sustainability, appropriation, and exclusion from the international fashion world.

In 2020, Chavarria collaborated with K-Swiss to produce Sudadera No Human Being Is Illegal, a classic, oversized sweatshirt in pale blue and white.  Bold graphics state the brands’ names on each sleeve, and the central logo announces “Authentic Americans” along with “No Human Being Is Illegal.”  The generous proportions of this sweatshirt outline a large, regal silhouette of self-empowerment, as seen in cholo style.  U.S. and Mexican national flags wave equally, and the Mexican coat of arms’ eagle with snake has a border of palm branches, symbolizing peace.

It is notable that Chavarria, arguably the world’s most important fashion designer today, used his presence on the 2026 Spring/Summer Paris Fashion Week’s stage to comment on the brutal treatment of immigrants in the U.S.  His runway show² opened with models posed on their knees, arms pulled back as if being detained by ICE agents, echoing the indelible images flooding our news sources.  While the message on Chavarria’s 2020 piece shown in Moda Hoy! was clear, its title, No Human Being Is Illegal, has become even more urgent in 2026.  Ricardo Seco also doubled down on political activism with his 2026 retrospective/manifesto collection³ called “Migrant Pride,” including a few earlier pieces that were shown in the Moda Hoy! exhibition.

The Moda Hoy symposium⁴ and the Moda Hoy! exhibition catalog raised issues surrounding Latinx and Latinamericanx identity and representation, especially regarding indigenous cultures, that are still being debated.  In 2025, Willy Chavarria was threatened with a cultural appropriation lawsuit by the Governor of Oaxaca for his collaboration with Adidas over their “Oaxaca Slip On”⁵ footwear (made in China).  They used the name and woven structure of a Yalága huarache from the central Mexican state without permission or authorization.  Chavarria has since apologized, and Adidas is discussing restitution for the offense with Oaxacan officials.  

A different approach to design was on display in the Moda Hoy! exhibition, with Ricardo Seco’s 2017 New Balance 574 printed footwear pattern.  In an attempt to honor the Wikárika beadwork used as a style for his sneakers, Ricardo Seco initiated projects “Yo Soy Mexico” and “Walking Together,”⁶ giving half of his percentage back to the indigenous community that inspired him.

Commenting on the experience of living across national borders, Seco’s Chamarra Proud Mexican Immigrant ensemble brings together a 2017 jacket and a 2015 black leather dress skirted with a traditional Mexican handwoven fabric. The back of the jacket, created to resemble the green/white/red banded Mexican flag, proclaims “Proud Mexican Immigrant.”  The entire piece highlights traditions of fine leatherwork and regional weaving found in different cultures of Mexico while offering a fresh and youthful silhouette.  There is a defiant attitude evident here, reminiscent of pachuca style’s short skirts worn with menswear, that crosses gender boundaries and ignores Eurocentric fashion trends.  

It was deeply meaningful to see the Moda Hoy! exhibition in Mexico City.  There is a palpable sense of pride here for the multi-layered histories of Mexico and its cultures that was echoed in Moda Hoy!  The political issues that separate the U.S. and Mexico cannot erase the myriad cultural and family connections that bind us together. Outrageous insults and policies toward Mexico by the U.S. president have only highlighted a growing sense of its importance on the international stage.  Emblematic of Mexico’s global influence, it will host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.

Acknowledging Mexico’s dynamic position in world affairs, it makes sense that both Chavarria and Seco reference sports fan culture and fashion that crosses national borders.  Their designs feature elements of cholo and pachuca styling, and also indigenous styles with varying degrees of inclusivity.  These brands emanate an elegance earned from resilience, resistance, or working class experience.  They have a genuineness that connects with people, and are neither ironic or decadent.  Oversized proportions and full shapes protect and empower the body.  Logos and slogans deepen the aesthetic that celebrates identity and self-expression.  These pieces are heroic, and continue to be important beyond any given fashion season.  

Feature Image: Camiseta Orgullu Latinx, 2020, Ricardo Seco, print on cotton at “Moda Hoy! Latin American and LatinX Fashion Today” at Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City. Photo © Annin Barrett, 2026.

1. https://vilcek.org/prizes/prize-recipients/tanya-melendez-escalante ↩︎
2. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/willy-chavarria-makes-bold-statement-about-ice-raids-during-pfw-show ↩︎
3. https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/mexican-ricardo-secos-migrant-pride-takes-over-080-barcelona-fashion/2026042171856 ↩︎
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G2td69vqLk&list=PLq7I3h28zSMiL9_o_YuLURBngJsZ2oB69&index=3 ↩︎
5. https://hypebae.com/2025/8/willy-chavarria-adidas-originals-collaboration-oaxaca-slip-on-sneaker-backlash ↩︎
6. https://remezcla.com/culture/ricardo-seco-huichol-inspired-new-balances/ ↩︎