Beyoncé is back outside with a surprise cameo at Luar’s NYFW show

Beyoncé has had a busy 10 days. Type her name into Getty Images, and the results are far more populous than you’d expect from the usually taciturn star. There was the Beyoncé Knowles Meet and Greet Experience – also known as the Grammy Awards – on February 5, where celebs including Dua Lipa, Victoria Monét, and Olivia Rodrigo formed an orderly queue around the Staples Centre, waiting their turn for a pic with the queen. Then came Super Bowl Sunday, where Bey starred in one of those million-dollar ads and dropped new music straight after. Now, the musician has headed over to New York Fashion Week on its penultimate night, sitting front row at Raul Lopez’s AW24 Luar show. Much like the lyrics to “Break My Soul”, the surprise cameo tops off a trilogy of appearances which all proudly confirm: Beyoncé is back outside.

While the Luar appearance might’ve been the start of a publicity run for Renaissance follow-up Act II, it was also a family affair. Bey rocked up with sister Solange and mum Tina in tow, there to watch Solange’s 19-year-old son Daniel “Julez” Smith Jr. walk the show, one that heralded the return of the metrosexual man. But before the show began, the Luar account posted a photo on Instagram of a gender-bending mannequin head, with light stubble and a Beyoncé Knowles blowout. Named Decepcionista, the collection seemed to be inspired by gay people’s obsession with men who “queer bait”, supposedly mining the aesthetics of queerness while not actually being members of the community. But rather than berate these men, Lopez’s thoughtful collection seemed to ask – why do we even care?

To kick off his study of the 2024 metrosexual, Lopez began the show with a trio of leather looks – one full-body, black balaclava jacket, a sarong-style creation reminiscent of David Beckham (who was an inspiration for the show), and then Smith Jr. in giant, navy shoulder pads and faux-fur mittens. Elsewhere, men came preened in durags or swaddled in elaborate furs, and also wore sheer tiger-print shirts and printed bootcut jeans. The women were also embellished in fanciful ways, with Alex Consani in a tawny hooded dress and Princess Leia plaits, and Colin Jones sporting an extravagant peplum skirt.

The designer’s decision to show a collection centred on men during the womenswear calendar injected some well-needed subversion into the schedule, one that seemed to be missing-in-action. The clothes were constantly towing the line between masculine and feminine, something Lopez’s work has always done, while playfully referencing the queer community’s current preoccupation with metro-presenting hetero men. Though it may be contentious, it’s nice to see a contribution to the queerbaiting canon that actually engages with the topic in a self-reflexive way. And adding a Beyoncé cameo to the mix – one even the designer didn’t know was coming – it looks like Raul Lopez may just be the main character of New York Fashion Week this season.