NY Fashion Week: Luar Zepol

Raul Lopez started Luar Zepol in 2011 after leaving Hood By Air, a brand that he cofounded. Lopez seeks to communicate a state that reflects the past yet pushes for vision and possibilities in the future. For the spring/summer 2015 collection, Lopez took a trip back in time to his high school days where gangs ruled social cliques and there wasn't much peace. A sartorial journey intended to relieve feelings of the past in order to move into the future.

Lopez said, "The scariest era of my life was my freshman year in high school. Thrown into one of the toughest schools in the city, I was instantly face to face with many different nationalities, and the gangs they affiliated themselves with." His show opened with sounds of ringing school bells mixed with heavy melodies, clearly a connection to times of adversity. "School was a constant source of anxiety, with fighting and turf wars going on every day. The only exception to this rule was the common area, the 'T', where everyone would hang out and get along."

During that time he escaped by going clubbing and forgeting about the tumultuous climate at school. During this past week's Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, Webster Hall provided a court where the intersection of gangs and social cliques in Lopez's spring/summer collection came to life. Models of various ethnicities grazed the very dark and dismal scene in perforated leathers, bondaged pants and super spiked hair.

The collection included mainly blacks, browns and creams to represent different skin tones and ethnicities. Bondage straps were congruent through the collection. Lopez used them to pull the different groups (aka gangs) together, "The bra strap detail that is featured predominantly on many of the pieces is a homage of sorts to the 'T,' that area held so much tension together, acting as a unifier for all of the groups." Military details served as a reminder for the tension and wars fought.

Key pieces to look out for include the jackets with integrated backpack features. A greenish gray version had black trimming and cut up the front exposing the model's stomach. It also had half-sleeves.

One of the standout pieces was the white leather coat with double chest pockets and black leather trimmings. Slits played a major role in Lopez's collection and with this coat the elbows, shoulders and hips were slightly exposed with breaks in the white leather where black slits opened the garment up.

See more of Lopez's work on his online shop and follow him on Instagram @luarzepol.