With Madonna and Ice Spice in the front row, Offset on the runway, and big metallic Ana bags all over Rockefeller Center, Luar's Spring 2025 show on Tuesday evening was among New York Fashion Week's most impressive spectacles.
Titled “En Boca Quedó” (a phrase commonly used in the Dominican Republic as a playful form of shade), the collection was full of attitude: kitten-heeled knee-high boots and Oxford loafers (a notable footwear debut), cocooned statements made from warped leopard print, and the Yahaira bag, modeled after designer Raul Lopez’s audacious drag persona, all put their best foot forward.
“[En Boca Quedó’s] literal translation is something like ‘I stay in the mouth,’ implying that even after you’ve walked away, you know people will talk about you—good or bad,” Lopez explained in his show notes. Well, let's talk about it.
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Lopez's collection stylistically articulated the tension he experienced growing up in New York, one strained by the expectations of his Latinx community, his personal journey of self-discovery and the feeling that he needed to adhere to both worlds' rules. He remembers swapping his stiff, white button-downs for platform sneakers and black eyeliner while riding the subway to Christopher Street's ballroom scene, shapeshifting from one identity to another in a bid to avoid judgment on either side. "The inroads of bending to palatability as a gay Dominican man leaves invisible scars," he said, recalling the "heavy, almost dark feeling" he carried through his adolescence because of them.
In mode, Lopez's fabrics, textures, hues and shapes echo the "primal instincts" that granted him the resilience to perform and survive in New York's often intense, swallowing atmosphere while discovering himself. Double-breasted coats employed gargantuan sleeves and tightly-tailored hoods for protection, while knit dresses similary stretched to engulf models' heads with skin-tight shields. Big-shouldered trench coats secured their wearers with multi-dimensional textile plays, and track suits operatred as ultra-bulky safeguards.
But Luar's designs were not all moody disguises; this is the brand known for its confident, head-turners after all. Mirroring his strong, present-day sense of self, Lopez's looks were secure in their power — and many were ready to flaunt it, too. Shimmering black suits were so shiny they almost looked wet; formals were manipulated for dramatic movement in step, matching workwear sets screamed the brand's name, and skin braved the runway under sheer button-downs and shorts, paired with shiny black leather boots that climbed to the thigh. Not to mention, gold-hued Ana bags, decorated with cute charms courtesy of a big-budget American Express collab, were quite opulent.
Under the skyscraping landmark venue's lights, Lopez made a lap around the runway to beaming smiles and applause from New York's glitterati. "Mother!" one attendee screamed. "Go granny!" another exclaimed, referring to the name the designer has earned in the ballroom scene. The familial sentiment on the ground was sincere; and the sheer energy put any fears of New York Fashion Week's death to rest. If only teenage Raul could see the places he would go. All tea, no shade.
See Luar's Spring/Summer 2025 collection in the gallery above, and stay tuned to Hypebeast for more New York Fashion Week coverage.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
