LUAR's Army of Powerful, Fish Femmes

LUAR's models were sent onto the runway randomly, fiercely rushing--sometimes as pairs--in disorderly directions throughout the New York brand's spring '18 presentation. These were women focused on a mission, power-walking like bosses in looks that called back to LUAR's menswear, which subverted corporate Wall Street dress code.

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This was the goal for queer Dominican designer Raul Lopez, who developed the lineup as "an homage to the strong and controversial women" that have influenced his life. "The type of woman who is in touch with their masculine side, on a power trip and looking for revenge on any man who has tried to make her feel ashamed," he says.

One overcoat was printed with the Wu-Tang Clan lyric, "Cash rules everything around me," which laid a foundation for LUAR's army of commanding femmes. Black pin-striped jackets were combined as dresses and one-legged jumpsuits; monochrome suiting fabrics were reworked as skirts with ruching and tops with elongated sleeves. The energy was chaotic, like models had rummaged through their bosses' closets and angrily taken to the streets.

Some pieces were branded with LUAR's name, while others were printed with the word, "Fish," wrapped in the Christian logo. For Lopez, this feature was a cultural call out to the LGBTQ community. "Fish" refers to a woman or anyone who presents as hyper-femme. It can also mean, "Fuck It, Shit Happens," which in LUAR's case was a "direct message from women to men, whether it be in the work place or in response to any resistance to the idea that women are powerful and equal to men."

Photography: Kohl Murdock