'I wanted to make a bag I could afford': Designer Raul Lopez on affordable it-bags - and a diverse look is finally coming to New York fashion

On a balmy early spring evening, an unassuming Brooklyn street has momentarily become the destination of New York fashionistas. Club kids, streetwear aficionados and folks dressed like Neo from The Matrix vied for a spot in the growing crowd. The reason? A fashion brand called Luar, which has become so popular in recent years that even those who are not usually used to queuing will be happy to queue.

Luar designer Raul Lopez speaking weeks after the show, is wide-eyed but smiling when told about the scrum to get in. "It's become a thing where it's like walking into a club," he said, speaking to the Guardian via video call from his grandmother's house. "Kids start leaking it on TikTok or whatever...and like 700 or 800 people show up."

These numbers are testament to how Luar is a name known far beyond those in the rarefied world of fashion. That may be partly because Lopez — a queer color designer who grew up in a non-gentrified New York neighborhood — stands apart from the industry in which he operates. Rather than obscuring these differences, Luar leans into them and celebrates them - by building something radical: a luxury brand that appeals beyond the 1% model.

If in the world of fashion, New York has long been shorthand for the urban sophistication of brands such as Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren, Luar de Lopez is one of many labels finally showing different points of view in this most diverse city. Other names include Willy Chavarria, the 56-year-old designer who works for Calvin Klein and is experiencing a resurgence in interest, thanks to his genderless designs and diverse street cast. And Head of State, the label founded by Taofeek Abijako when he was 17. Her collection in February was a moving tribute to her father's journey from Nigeria to Spain and finally to the United States.

Notably, Lopez closed fashion week - a prestigious niche usually reserved for a household name. He sees it as an affirmation. “I was born and raised in New York, [and] coming from these troubled neighborhoods…to be able to exhibit my work for the world and for New York was an honor,” he says. "In a weird way, it wasn't really about me, it was about everyone. It's like 'I can do it, you can do it too, you know, you just have to hustle you.'"

There are other signs of success. He is one of nine finalists for this year's prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Designers, the winner of which was announced in June. He also received the CDFA Accessories Designer Award from the...