Luar Fall 2025: A Life Lived Unapologetically
Growing up in New York is not for the faint of heart, something Raul Lopez knows deeply. Coming of age during the AIDS crisis and realizing his LGBTQIA+ identity, the slur “El Pato,” used for gay, was thrown at him regularly. “I’m reclaiming that and that time and bringing it to now,” he said during a preview in his studio. His show notes dove deeper, reading: “Hands like faggot, life like an ugly swan. Hand gestures gay, flamboyant, just like the clothes he wore.” Lopez is proud and standing strong in who he is. “What’s going on now. I’m born and raised in New York. I’m not going back anywhere. I’m staying right here,” he said.
The first look was a white crocodile embossed suit, the blazer with a single strong shoulder while the other side exposed a bare shoulder, almost as if it had been thrown on backward. It was nipped at the waist and worn with skinny pants, heels and a feathered scarf on the head. A look that said, “I am unapologetically me and I don’t care what you think.” From there, Lopez pumped up the volume of the message with one look after another, a celebration of queer joy. A gray knit catsuit with webbed arms that held the hands like a limp wrist — a tongue in cheek take on a gesture many gay boys were made fun of for. There were opulent textures, particularly feathers, with one coat covered in black feathers that had been made in collaboration with the same atelier that works with Schiaparelli.
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That doesn’t mean there weren’t pieces for his growing customer base to covet. Deep dark barrel jeans, cropped jackets with full sleeves, top coats with square shoulders almost brushing the floor, cocooning suits. Wool was another defining texture — he is a Woolmark Prize finalist for 2025 and he used the fabric in unexpected ways, like a gray quilted jacket that looked sporty and tech-driven, with pants to match.
Toward the end of the lineup, New York ballroom icon Stephanie Milan came out carrying a new plush handbag shape — the runway birthed many new versions of Luar’s hit Ana bag — in a luscious gray and white fur. It was belted with an “L” logo belt with feathers that cascaded off her bosom. “She’s a legend, the story of her life,” he said bluntly. Milan is transgender, came from Colombia and married a rich man from uptown; she lived with him for 30 years only to lose it all when he died and his family took it away. The TV show “Pose” is thought to be based on her.
It’s the type of grit that Lopez imbues into his clothing: Uber cool and take no BS, like the “I talk s–t about you in Spanish” black T-shirt he paired with a massive white feather headpiece and knee-high boot.
Launch Gallery: Luar Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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