A Night Out With Willy Chavarria, Karla Martinez de Salas, and El Museo Del Barrio

Last Tuesday in the heart of Times Square at the Edition Hotel, New York City’s Latinx community gathered to honor the designer Willy Chavarria and Vogue Mexico’s Karla Martinez de Salas at El Museo del Barrio’s annual Spring Benefit. Luminaries from the worlds of fashion, politics, business, and entertainment showed love for Chavarria and Martinez de Salas—and for El Museo del Barrio itself, an institution dedicated to the celebration of Latinx art and culture. The night was one for to be remembered: even Anna Wintour couldn’t resist stopping by to congratulate the event’s honorees. The event culminated in a performance by the Dominican-Italian singer Yendry, who was recently crowned Best New Artist at the 2021 MTV Millennial Awards. Below, take a look at some exclusive photos of the night’s festivities (courtesy of Maxwell Vice), and hear from some of the Latinx visionaries in attendance.

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WILLY CHAVARRIA

Designer & Honoree of El Museo del Barrio’s Spring Benefit

“I am incredibly honored to have been chosen as a cohost for El Museo del Barrio’s Spring Benefit. We need to support cultural institutions like El Museo to encourage the awareness and creativity of Latinx artists. To be recognized by El Museo, as well as the community for the work that I do, fills me with joy and I just hope I can be as inspiring to them as they are to me.”

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LINEISY MONTERO

Model

“[Being on the cover of Vogue Mexico with my natural hair] has been a very important step, because before modeling,  I felt that my hair was one of my biggest flaws. Today I’m here, and everyone loves it. The cover made an impact. Now, people tell me, “My daughter doesn’t want to straighten her hair because she saw your afro.” So representation is very important—And all because of one image. It’s already changing.” [Translated from Spanish to English]

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 JOSE CRIALES-UNZUETA

Writer and Designer

“Creating space for Latinx folks to celebrate our community is something we don’t often see in the bubble of the fashion industry. I loved seeing the community represented in a way that felt authentic and all-encompassing. I saw folks of all different identities come together to create the larger Latinx community. I think Karla and Willy both exemplify this in their work, so it was special to see them come together and bring us all together with them.”

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ALDO ARAUJO 

Artist and CFDA Strategist

“I met Willy when I was producing and organizing NYFW men’s shows. A big part of my job was designer discovery and relations, because we provided free production and venues to emerging designers. It gave us the chance to invest in and support so many brands. I invited Willy, and he held his first-ever runway show with us. When I was young, I sought out queer Latinx artists, but couldn’t find them—especially in fashion. That’s how I knew that Willy could be a vehicle for change. His art goes beyond the clothes—it’s a statement with deep nuance about culture and queerness. It’s pretty radical for someone to be so open and loud about male sexuality in our industry, and in Latinx culture, which can be so patriarchal and machista.”

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