PARIS – Willy Chavarria has made no secret of his ambition to become creative director of a top fashion house, and he’s taking a step in that direction with a new Charles Jourdan womenswear collaboration, set to be revealed in tandem with his men’s show here on Friday.

The collection draws on rare pieces from the Charles Jourdan archives, including styles held by private collectors and museums. The silhouettes have been recolored and reworked with fresh materials to reflect Chavarria’s design language.

“This collection is deeply personal to me. To work with the Charles Jourdan legacy, to literally hold that history in my hands, is an honor,” said the designer, who in 2024 was named CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, as well as Designer of the Year at the Latin American Fashion Awards.

“Charles Jourdan revolutionized women’s shoes, and it’s a huge privilege to tell this historic brand’s influence in fashion through my lens. I wanted to approach it with both boldness and humility. We took these iconic shapes and gave them new skin, new soul.

“It’s about elevating the power of femininity, not softening it. These are shoes for women who lead with emotion, who walk with purpose, who command space without apology. I think Charles Jourdan is just every shoe lover’s fantasy, it is the dream,” he added.

Charles Jourdan, which was founded by its namesake in 1919 has been relaunched several times over the years, is owned by the licensed footwear specialist Groupe Royer. The brand’s artistic director is the fashion designer Christelle Kocher.

Chavarria joins a long list of top creatives who have worked with the brand through the decades, including Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, Andy Warhol, and Andrée Putman.

It is understood that Bourdin’s colorful, surreal campaigns for the brand heavily influenced Chavarria’s collection.

Bourdin’s campaigns featured a red shoe positioned near the model’s mouth as if it were lipstick; disembodied legs walking through a rose garden; and little feet with sandals peeking from under a giant leaf as if they were bugs.

Chavarria even named one of the colors Bourdin Blue in a tribute to the photographer.

The designer has been raising his profile with a series of collaborations of late.

As reported earlier this week, A Magazine Curated By revealed Chavarria as the guest editor of its 28th issue, which is set to be released in print on Sunday with online pre-sales beginning Tuesday.

Chavarria described his issue of the magazine as “part-biography, really exploring where I’m from, and then contrasting that with where we are now and filling [the edition] with everything in between. I think where we landed is this beautiful composite of the reality of the brand, our position in society and the way we speak to people and about social justice and human equality.”

The designer’s debut Adidas Originals collaboration was released on May 8, with a second drop to come on July 10. The Adidas collaboration features a range of ready-to-wear and footwear for men and women.

The designer took on the archival Adidas Jabbar sneaker, created for basketball icon Kareem Abdul Jabbar, one of the most celebrated players of all time. In 1978, Jabbar received the first-ever Adidas shoe named for a basketball athlete.