A bag moves with you. It carries what matters, supports how you live, and shows up every day as part of your routine, protection, and self-expression.

Designed by Raul Lopez, LUAR is rooted in culture, rebellion, and sophistication.

Blending boldness with elegance, the brand’s bags, from the Ana with its iconic circular handle to the trapezoid-structured Yahaira, the Alexis Backpack, and the Brooke tote, reframe luxury as presence and power. Crafted in standout materials such as pebble leather, enzyme denim, leopard pony hair, and black python, each design reflects lived experience, from the Chelsea piers to cultivated communities in Paris, Japan, and Morocco. These bags function as heirlooms, meant to hold stories and evolve over time.

Joel Hilario, Rayvin Huger, and Armiel Chandler reflect on how LUAR bags move through creative labor, nightlife, and communal spaces, holding not just essentials but protection, memory, and connection. LUAR bags speak to where you come from, who you move with, and where you are headed next.

LUAR is often experienced in motion, through nightlife, creativity, and community. How does carrying a LUAR bag reflect movement, connection, and chosen family in your creative life?

Joel Hilario: “Every time I carry a LUAR bag, it becomes a conversation before I say a word. I’ll walk into a room alone and someone stops me to say, “I love LUAR,” or asks where it’s from, creating an instant bridge that feels like walking into a family. As a queer, first-generation Dominican American, LUAR feels like a chosen family, it looks like me, speaks my language, and reflects where I come from. When I wear it, I feel seen, protected, and celebrated. LUAR isn’t just something I wear, it’s something I belong to.”

Rayvin Huger: “New York keeps me moving, and LUAR moves with that rhythm. From day to night, work to play, it feels designed for constant motion. Its recognizability often opens the door to connection, making unfamiliar spaces feel more accessible. My creative life is shaped by collaboration and chosen family, and LUAR reflects that same communal spirit.”

Armiel Chandler: “Carrying LUAR is intentional. As a plus-size public figure, I often enter spaces where I wasn’t originally considered part of the conversation, and LUAR moves with me through nightlife and creative spaces as a statement of presence. It’s not about accessorizing, it’s about showing up visibly and unapologetically. LUAR embodies chosen family, transforming intimidating environments into empowering ones and building belonging collectively.”

LUAR exists at the intersection of queerness, diaspora, and freedom of expression. How does the bag allow you to show up fully across different spaces?

Joel Hilario: “My style challenges machismo by balancing softness and strength, femininity and masculinity. LUAR gives me that final layer that anchors everything. It doesn’t just complete the look, it allows me to walk into any space aligned with who I am, unapologetically expressive and in my power.”

Rayvin Huger: “Many creatives navigate spaces that favor performance. LUAR invites the removal of that layer. The bag carries a quiet support that honors fluidity and genuine lived experience.”

Armiel Chandler: “LUAR mirrors how I move through the world. Carrying it represents the moment I stopped seeing my identity as a weakness and began wearing it as strength. Whether I’m entering creative rooms or unfamiliar spaces, the bag moves with me as a symbol of confidence, visibility, and self-trust.”

How has carrying a LUAR bag reinforced your belief in community as a source of strength?

Joel Hilario: “Growing up, I didn’t see queer Dominican representation celebrated. Rooted in cultural connection, wearing LUAR feels like reclaiming that visibility and affirming that my culture and queerness are sources of strength.”

Rayvin Huger: “LUAR reminds me that ambition doesn’t have to come at the cost of connection. Community isn’t a backdrop to success, it’s the foundation.”

Armiel Chandler: “It reminds me that community is not secondary to ambition and that I’m among creators who support one another. Success is amplified when it’s shared, and building together is always stronger.”

In Bag Lady, Erykah Badu reminds us not to carry what holds us back. What do you keep in your LUAR bag as you move forward? 

Joel Hilario: “Most of the time, my bag is empty. What I carry is confidence, joy, and permission to take up space. Moving light means releasing fear and expectation and walking through life boldly, with freedom and a little bit of c**t.”

Rayvin Huger: “I carry only what supports me, essentials, plus reminders of joy and self-trust. Moving lighter means moving with intention and releasing excess.”

Armiel Chandler: “I’m intentional about what I carry, physically and energetically. Beyond essentials, I carry confidence, authenticity, and the energy of my community. The bag becomes a vessel for freedom and the life I’m building, rooted in self-expression, collaboration, and unapologetic presence.”

In My Bag is a CFDA.com editorial series examining designer bags through the people who use them.

Featuring Brandon Blackwood, LUAR by Raul Lopez, and Coach under Stuart Vevers, the series includes voices from Sierra Rena, Alexis Wilkerson, Zoi Lerma, Joel Hilario, Rayvin Huger, Armiel Chandler, Jenee Naylor, Nimay Ndolo, and Kalyn Rodriguez. Each story connects style to real life, work, ambition, movement, and meaning.