LUAR’s Worlds Collide in “Christopher Street Columbus” SS27
Taking over the iconic Unisphere in Queens to showcase designer Raul Lopez’s latest range, alongside a collaboration with Lunazul Tequila.
On September 14, LUAR took over the iconic Unisphere outside of the Queens Museum to show its SS27 collection, “Christopher Street Columbus.” Exploring the history embedded in Raul Lopez’s Carribean heritage and the designer’s formative years on Christopher Street, where he delved into the queer nightlife scene, the collection continued to develop LUAR’s subversive aesthetic with ever more refinement. Lit up beneath the evening sky, the outdoor runway encircled the massive Unisphere, and the show began just as the sun dipped past the horizon. The landmark location only added to the collection’s grandeur, which traversed experimental tailoring, clubwear, and elegant gowns.
The first looks that appeared were some of the most pared-back, yet Lopez still found new ways to remix recognizable staples. A gray double-breasted suit was styled with voluminous Spanish breeches, recalling depictions of Spanish voyagers, and a minimal black suit with a standing collar featured dramatic white lace cuffs peeking through. As the show progressed, the Spanish breeches continued in varying lengths and fabrics, intermixing with city staples, including a range of black leather motorcycle jackets and crocodile-embossed pieces like trucker jackets and jeans. Handbags, among Luar’s signature strengths, mirrored the fabric treatments of the garments, including reptile textures, faded leathers, a bright blue velvet, and more.
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Sarah Schecker/Hypebeast
Debuting alongside Lopez’s SS27 range was the highly limited LUAR x Lunazul clothing collection — a seamless fusion of LUAR’s NYC nightlife-inspired aesthetic with Lunazul’s expertise in crafting tequila. Uniting around their mutual dedication to craftsmanship, the collection features a two-piece denim set, and a classic baseball cap. The look orbits around a plant-based agave leather in striking Lunazul blue, representing their shared lunar muse against the night sky. Ahead of the presentation, Lopez mused, “Taking an iconic plant like agave, turning it into vegan leather, and making it suitable for everyday wear is incredible to me.” Drawing on seven generations of agave cultivation, the core ingredient behind Lunazul’s handcrafted tequila is beautifully recontextualized in this innovative design.
The show closed with a range of dazzling gowns, reminding the audience of the red carpet-ready looks Lopez has been providing to the world’s biggest stars. Shown in both black and white, maxi mockneck dresses revealed glittering sequins behind vertical cutouts. Another long-sleeve gown was embroidered with a diamond pattern that faded into bouncing fringe at the cuffs and hem. The grand finale was perhaps the most outstanding of the dresses; an asymmetrical gown covered in silver sequins was adorned with a pink feather pouf at the front, trailed by a silver train billowing behind.
See the galleries above for a complete look at the LUAR SS27 runway show and learn more about the LUAR x Lunazul clothing collaboration here.
