In a groundbreaking move that blends fashion history with cultural homage, designer Willy Chavarria has officially launched his much-anticipated Adidas collaboration—an audacious capsule that amplifies Chicano heritage through a high-fashion, street-inflected lens.
First previewed on his Spring/Summer 2025 runway, the 36-piece collection delivers more than just trend-forward silhouettes—it’s a deeply personal tribute to identity. “This is my American perspective on Adidas,” Chavarria says, reflecting on the brand’s global legacy. From London’s Mod subculture to the pulse of Berlin’s rave scene, Adidas has long served as a cultural chameleon. But for Chavarria, it’s the label’s footprint in Chicano neighborhoods—where track jackets and low-tops became quiet symbols of resilience and expression—that inspired his design narrative.
The collection doesn’t whisper; it commands. Signature wide-leg pleated trousers and sweeping basketball shorts have been reimagined in performance-ready fabrics. Oversized football jerseys—emblazoned not with a team name, but the word Chicano—speak volumes without needing translation. A new teal hue, electric and full of intention, replaces Adidas’ classic deep blue, while the iconic low-top Jabbar sneaker receives a stylized update with a sharply tapered toe.
For Chavarria, the collaboration is layered with nostalgia and reverence. “As a kid, I asked everyone to call me Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” he recalls.
“He was more than an athlete to me—he was a guardian of justice”
That reverence shaped the core of this drop: an imagined uniform for social changemakers.
The designer’s earliest memory of Adidas? Borrowing his father’s worn suede pair—an unspoken rite of passage. Styled with rolled white tees, slicked-back hair, and corduroys, it wasn’t just fashion—it was identity.
“I thought it was the coolest look ever,” he admits
Now available on both Adidas and Chavarria’s own platforms, the collection ranges from a $100 graphic tee to a $280 football jersey—offering both high-style streetwear and accessibility. It’s a rare convergence: a luxury designer collaborating with a global sportswear icon to reclaim and reframe a historically underrepresented narrative.
Chavarria’s Adidas debut doesn’t just celebrate Chicano culture—it immortalizes it in modern fashion’s fast-moving lexicon. This is more than a capsule. It’s a cultural moment—and it’s finally here.
