In the never-ending search to find a buzzy new location to show one’s collection, Raul Lopez of Luar took us to a new frontier—Queens. More specifically, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where he showed his spring 2027 collection under the Unisphere, an imposing 120-foot-wide stainless steel globe.
“There was no plan B,” the designer said during a preview, noting that he bumped into a childhood friend’s father while looking at the space and considered it an omen. “I go to Queens all the time. I even go there on the weekends to the gay clubs. I love Queens.”
The collection, titled Christopher Street Columbus, was inspired, in part, by Tudor era clothing, but, as is his custom, Lopez filtered it through a decidedly modern, queer lens (hence Christopher Street, a popular gay hangout spot in New York). Lopez, who is Dominican, also added touches from his homeland, where Columbus touched down on his first voyage to the Americas.
“I wanted to play with the idea of colonization,” he said, “Reclaiming it. And my reclamation was me on Christopher Street. And then dressing up for survival and to fit in and to, obviously, look good, but also to be rebellious.”
Lopez, a showman who’s not one for subtlety, painted in broad strokes, with full pleated breeches bisecting a double-breasted suit or paired with a biker jacket with sloping shoulders; sharp-shouldered coats with a dashing neck closure; a leather bodice with dramatic puffed sleeves; and track jackets that slightly resembled doublets.
In the studio, his powerful silhouettes were certainly eye-catching, but it was his way with textiles that really stood out. For example, on a trip to the Dominican Republic, he took pictures of cacao pods, which come in a dizzying array of colors from yellow to green to brown; he had them scanned and printed onto silk, which then made its way into snazzy suits or a draped top. Elsewhere, umber jacquards were a nod to the earthy, decaying textures of rotten cacao, broad suits with nipped waists came in brown-and-black striped velvet, smoky skirts were crafted from dyed lace; and some of the more restrained looks came in creamy navy moiré. He closed out the show with sequined dresses with asymmetric hems finished off with a feather sash at the waist.
Lopez has made a name for himself with his accessories—namely his large-handled Ana—and he had terrific details throughout here. There were pouchettes made in collaboration with MCM, sharp mules, and even sporty flip-flops made with the Brazilian brand Kenner. Ripped gloves revealed bejeweled fingers—pulled directly from a practice from the 1500s, which Lopez discovered on TikTok—and boas had their feathers curled for additional bounce.
And while the Unisphere was certainly a cinematic backdrop worthy of a selfie (evidenced by the crowds using it as a photo op pre-show), the scale of the location did, ultimately, swallow the collection. After seeing the richness of the clothes at the studio, they felt small at the venue. It’s a shame—they were so thoughtfully designed, and they deserved a better showcase.