Raised in South Williamsburg in a Dominican household, he learned early how clothing could signal pride and culture. After co-founding Hood By Air, he stepped away to reconnect with his roots, which later shaped the creation of ‘Luar’ as a more personal project.

Raul's work reflects how clothes function as protection and self expression, shaped by the way his community dressed and showed up. The Ana bag, named after the women in his family, became a key symbol by reframing luxury as something inherited and personal, created as an heirloom meant to carry story and lineage rather than status. Through it, Lopez challenged who gets to define luxury while honoring the people who shaped him, helping bring wider recognition including CFDA honors and LVMH Prize acknowledgment.

The brand operates as an extension of Lopez’s world, built through close relationships and shared history, where the people involved are part of the work itself. His unique approach treats fashion as a living record of where he comes from while continuing to move forward.