It is uncommon to feel stillness or hear silence at a fashion show. Between the buzzing bustle of backstage, the frenzied rush of guests finding their seats, and the post-show celebrations, there is at most a 15-minute window of quiet as everyone turns their attention to the main event. Though, more often than not, that’s adorned with vibrating music and whispered commentary.

But as Willy Chavarria’s cinema-worthy movie screen lit up an old warehouse on the edges of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, all chatter came to a halt. And when models didn’t immediately walk out, defying traditional runway norms and keeping guests on the edge of their seats (both literally and metaphorically), it became clear that the Chavarria show would be something entirely fresh. And then the designer’s short film, Safe From Harm, began.

Discussing themes of love and security, the vibrant film told a story of support and safety. As a diverse array of characters moved from space to space in an old house, working out, cooking, dressing up, letting emotions out, and comforting one another, we saw a world both vibrant and intimate — one that, in its simplicity, felt radical.

Ending with a dance party and models strutting the hallways of the home, the fact is clear: it is in these spaces of creativity, diversity, and support that art and fashion is born. As the film came to a close, models emerged before us, seemingly stepping straight off the screen.

In a new wave of Americana fashion, Chavarria blended western cowboy elements with classic suiting and preppy-influenced plaid, blurring gender lines and creating a genre all his own. As models walked through the crowd and settled into a contemporary Last Supper arrangement, they radiated strength — breathing life into a collection as cohesive as it was divisive, in pieces built to feel strong and safe in.

All photography by Hatnim Lee.