Raul Lopez

Raul Lopez is the founder and designer of Luar. His popular Ana bag and traction with the high-wattage pop stars like Dua Lipa , J Balvin and Shawn Mendes have helped him transform the label from a fledgling start-up into a successful growing brand that has become a highlight on the New York Fashion Week calendar.

Lopez is a co-founder of luxe streetwear pioneer Hood by Air. The Dominican-American designer left the label in 2010. He later started Luar, a brand that blended his Latin roots with a post-gender aesthetic. Though his early designs were worn by Rihanna, he struggled to keep the business afloat. Twice, in 2014 and 2019, he put the label on pause. The second time he suffered from mental burnout.

With support from Your Friends In New York (YFINY), an incubator started by Pyer Moss founder Kerby Jean-Raymond and French luxury group Kering, Lopez was able to stage a comeback. Today, Luar is sold at influential retailers like Dover Street Market , H. Lorenzo and Moda Operandi. The Ana bag accounts for about 40 percent of total sales.