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Forget the plain white T-shirt and the dull sweatpants in your wardrobe. It’s time for a refresh, courtesy of Luar by Raul Lopez. He’s delivered deliciously redefined basics with his new Basico collection, crafted with intention. When getting dressed or searching for his own pieces, the designer saw that there were simply not enough quality basics. “The problem is that most basics don’t last long, and they aren’t considered enough to have thoughtful tailoring or luxury detailing,” says Lopez. His drop aims to fix that. It includes T-shirts, button-ups, shorts, and sweatsuits with every piece reflecting the signature sauciness–and story–that makes Luar so special. The collection ranges from $178 to $377 and will be available today on Luar.world.
For this collection, Lopez, who is Dominican and was born and raised in Williamsburg, New York, traveled to his grandmother’s home city of Santiago, Dominican Republic. He styled and photographed the collection himself, using Santiago’s landscape as a backdrop and employing locals to show off the clothes. “The intention behind my designs always begins with my desire to consider and interpret culture,” says Lopez. His models and inspiration were buggarrones, now referred to as buggatis, Dominican slang for male escorts. “I’m always so fascinated that they wear these basics but look so good,” says Lopez, “It is how relaxed they are in relaxed clothing. The clothing doesn’t wear them; they wear it.”
Here, everything is tweaked through the Luar lens—fabulously warped and elevated with pheromone-soaked hotness. The white T-shirt is a far cry from a five-pack purchased from the drugstore. Instead, it is cut ever-so-precise: a bit oversized with a ribbed top portion and Luar written in rhinestones in the middle of the chest. A pair of sweatpants are tailored to look like finely fitted trousers, but with elastic ribbing at the waist and bottoms. The matching sweatshirt boasts those classic Luar thick exposed seams.
Lopez also tailored the clothes to create the illusion of a muscular-yet-snatched body underneath. “It meant playing on the illusion of Instagram bodies,” he says. “How do you give yourself a body without going to the gym.” The clothes are packed with subtle trompe l’oeil muscles, adding swag and svelte. Look closely and a hoodie is cinched at the waist, where people want to look “more snatched.” The sculpted hoodie is tight at the forearm and loose at the bicep to create the illusion of bulk. “I feel like everyone, regardless of gender, is trying to be a fitness guru or body influencer, so why not distort these garments into that illusion for you?” says Lopez. Though however one wants to present themselves this summer, bulking up on these basics is crucial.
