Every fashion label produces a shirt. Chava Studio crafts the shirt cherished by fashion connoisseurs. Since its inception in Mexico City in 2020, founder Olivia Villanti has approached the everyday button-down as an art form, focusing on meticulous patternmaking, premium fabrics, and tailored-level detailing.
After the writer-editor — whose experience includes roles at Madewell and Lucky — departed from New York, she found herself in her husband’s family workshop, which has been importing textiles from Europe’s top mills to Mexico since the ’90s and subsequently branched into men’s shirting. “Everything that unfolded with Chava was entirely spontaneous and entirely serendipitous,” Villanti shares. “They had deadstock I could experiment with. They had a seamstress available, so I could collaborate with her to create items.”
Although the opportunity was unexpected, the motivation to address a personal wardrobe challenge was intentional. “I’ve always had a passion for shirts, yet I found it difficult to locate the perfect one,” comments Villanti. “It’s a common category, yet oddly overlooked [for women]. You can discover a shirt from any label, but finding a truly well-crafted one is surprisingly challenging.”
Villanti observed that many features of the traditional custom shirting experience “reflected a man’s figure and lifestyle” with tighter underarm fits, extended sleeves, and oversized collars. This inspired the concept for Chava: “I began contemplating how we might feminize shirts. I wanted to make the inner lining a bit softer, the body’s drape more relaxed. So, when you wear it, you don’t feel compelled to put on a tie.”
One principle she adopted from men’s tailoring was construction. “Women’s brands often compromise on fabric quality and the inner lining in collars and cuffs,” she remarks, attributing this “overlooked aspect” to garments losing their shape after washing. “Men indeed receive a superior experience regarding the longevity of the materials used to make their clothing.” To counteract this, Villanti sources high-grade cottons, linens, and wool through her in-laws’ established mill connections: “When you use excellent fabrics, it completely redefines the silhouette.”
Today, in addition to classic shirting (starting at $475), Chava Studio presents more avant-garde styles: a spread-collar button-down with contrasting collar and cuffs, a cropped tuxedo design, and a cotton-cashmere split-back creation.
“While we adhere to tailoring principles, we violate many of them,” explains Villanti. Customers can also design bespoke shirts, although Villanti encourages clients to appreciate uniquely Chava features, such as an intentionally oversized fit or a swing shape meant to be worn untucked. “I have a very specific vision of how the shirt should be styled and what the intended fit will be,” Villanti states. “You could visit a bespoke tailor and have a shirt crafted to your measurements, but I believe there’s something distinctly unique about Chava, where you’re receiving a thoughtfully designed piece.”
While shirting remains the brand’s “core,” Villanti is open to innovation. During my visit, a leather jacket was displayed in the studio (“the first leather piece we’ve created”); there are also discussions about shoes, bags, and a collaboration with a jewelry designer on decorative button covers and cuff links. “We’re primarily a shirting company, but we also design pieces that enhance the shirts we create,” she notes. “I don’t want to sell a shirt to be paired with someone else’s trousers. I aim to craft an entire universe.”
That “universe” now encompasses a newly inaugurated store in Mexico City’s Hidalgo District (conveniently located next to renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán’s popular home museum) featuring exclusive items and ready-to-wear styles that don’t require a four-to-six-week wait.
“Many visitors came for showroom appointments, eager to leave with something. They’d ask, ‘Can I purchase this sample?’ And we had nothing in stock,” she explains. “I wanted to establish a venue where you could come in and acquire one-of-a-kind shirts while in Mexico City.”
Although the direct-to-consumer brand fulfills orders in the U.S. and organizes pop-ups Stateside, its origins are vital to the Chava philosophy. “Many people admire countries like France and Italy for their generational expertise, trade, and artistry,” Villanti remarks, who collaborates with local seamstresses to produce all the designs. “Mexico possesses all of that as well. They have remarkable craftsmanship and heritage that often goes unacknowledged… there’s immense soul and passion in this culture.”
Aemilia Madden, fashion editor and founder of Taeste Bud Substack, perceives that closeness as a competitive advantage. “Olivia and Chava maintain a direct connection with the customer and the products they are crafting,” states
