Raul Lopez Reflects on Metrosexuality for LUAR Fall/Winter 2024

The NYC designer paired Elizabethan references with nods to femininity and masculinity to explore the Y2K phenomenon.

WRITER: GREGORY BABCOCK PHOTOGRAPHER: MELODIE JENG

“All of my collections have New York embedded in them. It's part of who I am and the lens I see the world through,” Raul Lopez explains to GOAT. Launching LUAR in 2011 before putting the brand on hiatus until 2021, a decade away didn’t just energize the designer, it predicated a series of back-to-back accomplishments, ranging from a win as American Accessory Designer of the Year at the CFDA Awards to the runaway success of the Ana bag. According to Lopez, this is all part of the process. “The accolades and awards let me know that the narrative I'm pushing is relevant and is reaching the right audiences—but I make sure to stay grounded.”

Discover GOAT's exclusive backstage look at the LUAR FW24 presentation before the runway.

Models walk the runway at LUAR’s Fall/Winter 2024 ‘Deceptionista’ presentation, held in Brooklyn, New York on February 13, 2024.

Backstage at LUAR’s Fall/Winter 2024 ‘Deceptionista’ showcase. Designer Raul Lopez often casts his models based on personal connections.

Animalistic accents, including tiger-striped textiles, ostrich-print fabrics and fur-like trim, appeared on several pieces in the collection. The designer also debuted a “LUAR Basics” line and a multi-season collaboration with Canadian brand Moose Knuckles.

Inspired by Elizabethan aesthetics, Lopez crafted garments with bold shoulders and oversized sleeves.

LUAR's cult-favorite Ana bag, reimagined as a backpack silhouette.

Accents, including Rococo-inspired nail art and braided hair extensions, added a sense of drama to the runway looks.

Known for its tight-knit community of supporters and family, the LUAR team prepares garments and accessories for the ‘Deceptionista’ runway show.