New York Fashion Week is always full of surprises; you never know who you might end up rubbing shoulders with. As the guests at LUAR’s Fall 2024 show learned yesterday, it could even be Queen Bey herself.
On a chilly evening in a warehouse in Bushwick, designer Raul Lopez debuted his latest collection to a crowd buzzing thanks to the company they were in. Though fashion weeks are hotspots for celebrity sightings, it was the shock of the season when in walked Beyoncé, dressed to the nines in a bejewelled grey blazer and matching thigh-high boots.
The look, which was plucked from Gaurav Gupta’s Spring 2024 Haute Couture collection, was completed with opaque shades, an oversized, holographic version of LUAR’s ‘Ana’ bag and the thematic cowboy hat the singer has been donning to promote her upcoming country album. There she sat, perched between her mother, Tina Knowles, and designer Christopher John Rogers, swarmed by photographers and fangirling guests.
So, what was she doing there? Even as one of the biggest celebrities in the world, Beyoncé is rarely seen at fashion weeks and is a self-proclaimed homebody. But this show was different, as her nephew, Daniel ‘Julez’ Smith, made his runway debut. Naturally, his mother, Solange, was also present to cheer on her son with the rest of the family.
Titled ‘Deceptionista’, the collection was an ode to metrosexuality and exploration of the nuances that have traditionally gendered clothing. For Lopez, diving into the history of masculinity, in all its conflicting eras throughout time, proved a ripe source of inspiration to create designs that blended his own signatures with romantic—and, at times, humorous—influences.
The show also marked the introduction of LUAR BASICS, a forthcoming line of seasonless designs that distils key runway collection details for easy, everyday wear.
Having launched in 2011, Lopez has steadily been gaining recognition over the last few years, both critically and commercially, for his wealth of talent and freshly fluid perspective. And if LUAR’s latest show is anything to go by, he’s cementing himself as one to bet on.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.