In the immortal words of Jaida Essence Hall: look over there. Allow us to direct your gaze to a designer deserving of your full attention. NYC fashion darling Raul Lopez and his label LUAR - yes, that’s Raul back to front - have been picking up steam and press clippings left and right for standout design features like belts stitched across coats and the deft use of curved and asymmetrical cuts. Launched in 2011, the brand has become a prime pick for a wide range of artistes from Solange to Patti Labelle, Bree Runway, Dua Lipa and Rihanna. But what’s the story? Here's why we’re betting big on LUAR.

A Creative Legacy
If we take it all the way back, Raul Lopez hails from a lineage of skilled Dominican seamstresses. He spent his time learning from his mother and grandmother as they created church looks from scratch. Growing up in southside Williamsburg, his first-ever design was a white T-shirt with sleeves made out of a pair of Girbaud jeans and he started making his own money ironing clothes. Lopez never got a formal fashion education but this was the perfect start to a life dedicated to cutting-edge design.

HBA Credentials
Out in New York as a young queer ballroom kid, Lopez befriended fellow agent of change Shayne Oliver at 16 and went on to co-found the pioneering streetwear brand Hood By Air with him in 2006. Together they defined the spirit of POC-helmed queer counterculture design. Five years of HBA highs (the label truly shifted the culture forward) and lows later, Raul Lopez pursued his solo career with LUAR, bringing his singular vision to life.

Thee Attention to Detail
According to Lopez, detailing is his greatest strength as a designer. He loves garments that are full of details but look like they have nothing going on at all.

Heroines
Raul embraces duality, marrying textiles that sit on different ends of the spectrum. His breakout hero design, the now-iconic Ana bag, combines retro mod design (a salute to powerful women in his family) with a modern accessibility ethos (retailing at $265).

Knowing When to Pause
When LUAR was in its early stages in 2014 and once more in 2019, Lopez made the decision put the brand on pause. Despite no shortage of buzz, the second time LUAR went on hiatus for three seasons, Lopez aimed to avoid a full burnout, setting an example that taking a mental health break and disconnecting from art is okay and worthwhile. After meeting Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss at the CFDA Awards, Kerby and Your Friends in NY provided the Kering-backed funds for LUAR to stage a full comeback show in 2021.

Community First
Lopez has deep ties with the young POC creatives in his New York community. Dubbing himself both a granny and motha, Raul welcomes anyone who wants to be a part of the family as long as they keep it cute, picking ‘FOR THE CULTURE’ as the brand’s baseline.

Walking the walk
A consummate dresser, Raul is known online for stepping out in head-to-toe scene-stealing looks, going viral in the process. Raul’s exquisite taste doesn’t just extend to fashion, as he is also an unofficial restaurant critic and hotel ambiance muse.

Power Collaborator
So far, Lopez has collaborated with major brands like Stella Artois (STELUAR), Gucci Vault, Highsnobiety and Opening Ceremony. LUAR’s latest collaborator is niche fine jewellery label Mejuri whom they worked with on 18K hardware upgrades for the Ana bag and custom jewels, with a part of proceeds going to LGBTQIA+ charities.

Industry Recognition
Lopez is currently a finalist for the LVHM Prize 2023 and won the CFDA’s American Accessory Designer of the Year in 2022 while also making it on the Time 100 list in the same year. Significant indicators of mainstream, longterm success. The brand is currently sold at major sellers like Bergdorf Goodman, SSENSE, Dover Street Market London and Machine-A.

With all these reasons to believe, it's clear that Raul Lopez is well on his way to fashion domination, purse-first. Now everybody root for him to take home that LVMH Prize win on June 7!

Header image (c) Luar by Maxwell Vice