NEW YORK, NY MAY 5, 2025
In celebration of the latest exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, Timberland has partnered with New York-based designer Raul Lopez of LUAR to dress American actress Myha’la, marking the brand’s first time debuting its iconic footwear on the prestigious Met Gala carpet.
“As a native New Yorker, the merging of these cultural icons is magic. Two iconic brands: Timberland being part of the fabric of the city’s cultural aesthetic and LUAR being born out of its contrasting narratives. Collaborating for New York’s biggest night of fashion and art is a historical moment!” commented Raul Lopez, LUAR.
LUAR is well-known for its distinct craftsmanship and tailored silhouettes, and last year Raul won CFDA Awards American Accessory Designer of the Year for the second time. For the Met Gala 2025, Timberland tapped LUAR to collaborate on two bespoke boots to complement the unique tailored designs that honor this year’s theme. To create the final pieces, Raul collaborated with Timberland’s in-house design team. Drawing inspiration from the brand’s heritage pieces and archives, iterations of the iconic Yellow Boot were reimagined into a striking thigh-high design made from luxurious wheat and chocolate moiré and handcrafted in Italy.
“The design process with Timberland was very instinctual but also strategic. We began by exploring history and studying Black Tudor’s silhouettes, who I see as some of the original dandies, to create something sculptural that could stand alone as an art piece. This year’s theme honors the spirit of American style and those who’ve shaped it, Black and Brown innovators, and for me that meant looking at the codes of New York: Timberlands, tailoring, attitude and resilience,“ mentioned Raul Lopez, adding, “Myha’la truly embodies this year’s Met theme because she is the new guard. She represents a generation that’s unafraid to take up space, to be layered and real, which makes her the perfect muse.”
Rising star Myha’la is part of the famed collective of stars featured in Vogue for its Superfine: Tailoring Black Style editorial, celebrating themes of menswear, identity, and the history of Black dandyism in fashion. To showcase the bold, one-of-a-kind over-the-knee Timberland and LUAR design, and emphasize the timeless silhouette, Myha’la was styled in a sculptural mini dress referencing Black Tudor’s, reinventing their classical style and tailoring for a modern interpretation. For Raul’s look, he wore a tailored long-line chocolate moiré suit with heeled Timberland ankle boots in matching fabric that still maintained iconic elements of the brand and complemented the distinctive look created for Myha’la.
“The strongest memory I have about Timberland is that everyone cool had them! I saw them on my favorite people, from R&B and Hip-Hop stars to the stylish kids at school. I wanted a pair so badly and they HAD to be the OG wheat ones! That makes this a full circle moment for me wearing these amazing custom boots to my first Met,” shared Myha’la. “I’m also such a fan of LUAR and what Raul is doing as a designer. The look he’s created for me is such an amazing blend of references that speak to my style and his creativity. I couldn’t be more excited about stepping onto the Met Gala carpet together.”
Partnering with LUAR for this iconic annual fashion moment follows a year of noteworthy collaborations with luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Aime Leon Dore and most recently Jacquemus, cementing Timberland’s position as a leader in craft and culture. The brand’s distinctive wheat color, unparalleled craftsmanship and enduring comfort have solidified its status as the most recognizable boot in the world, a testament to authenticity and enduring legacy. Timberland has always celebrated diverse creatives and the partnership with LUAR exemplifies this, with Raul pulling various inspirations for his unique interpretation of the theme. Together, Timberland and LUAR celebrate the legacy of The Original Yellow Boot in an unexpected and elevated way, emphasizing the power of being unapologetically iconic.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s Spring 2025 exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, draws inspiration from characteristics that define dandy style. To complement this, the dress code for Met Gala 2025 is Tailored for You, a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear and suiting that brought out the sartorial creativity of this year’s attendees. This year Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala alongside Vogue Global Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour.
ABOUT TIMBERLAND
Timberland is a global outdoor and work inspired brand that’s on a mission to inspire and equip consumers to step outside, work hard together and move the world forward. Based in Stratham, New Hampshire, Timberland also has international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for The Original Timberland® Boot–the iconic yellow work boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England–Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel, and accessories. The brand is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture. At the heart of the Timberland® brand is a vision for a greener and more equitable future. This comes to life through a decades long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world. Built for Adventure. Built for Impact. Built for the Bold. To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.
ABOUT LUAR
LUAR is the reversed namesake label of Brooklyn, NY-based designer Raul Lopez. LUAR has been labeled as one of New York’s most exciting brands and its timely point-of-view has drawn international acclaim. In 2024 and 2022, LUAR won the CFDA Award for American Accessories Designer of the Year. The following year, LUAR was a finalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. LUAR was also named Brand of the Year at the 2023 Latin American Fashion Awards. LUAR in 2024 is nominated for the 2025 Woolmark Prize. LUAR launched in 2017 with a premise that had long been missing from American fashion: Clothing and accessory designs based on low and middle- income communities, more specifically the characters Lopez grew up among in New York City. The designer’s entrenchment in downtown New York City scenes inspired him to marry visual hallmarks of his Dominican heritage with the fluidity of underground nightlife. Following a period of reflection, Lopez relaunched LUAR in 2022 with new conviction: to offer empowering luxury products that subvert social strata. LUAR is designed with New York City’s outer boroughs in mind — creating clothes that real New Yorkers relate to and broadcasting true NYC style to the greater world. The brand considers affordability and accessibility when designing ready-to- wear, accessories and lifestyle goods for all gender identities. In Lopez’s mind, LUAR speaks to everyone, from high school students in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to ladies who lunch on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. LUAR has been worn and supported by the likes of Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, Robin, David Byrne, Rihanna, Usher, Dua Lipa, Ciara, Bella Hadid, Lourdes Leon, and more.
ABOUT MYHA’LA
Rising star Myha’la is currently in production on the fourth season of her critically acclaimed HBO/BBC series "Industry." The series gives an insider’s view of the world of high finance through the eyes of an outsider, Myha’la’s Harper Stern, a talented young woman from upstate New York. On the big screen, Myha’la will next be seen starring alongside Lily James in 20thCentury’s Bumble / Tinder film inspired by the story of Whitney Wolfe Herd. The film will be released in the Fall of 2025. She recently wrapped production on “They Will Kill You” a horror pic in which she stars opposite Zazie Beetz and Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire in which she stars opposite Bill Skarsgård, Davre Montgomery and Colman Domingo among others. Myha’la was last seen starring in the Netflix/Sam Esmail directed film LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND. The feature based on the acclaimed novel of the same name also stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali. Leave The World Behind was released in December 2023 and was one of Netflix’ most viewed titles of the year. Other credits include starring roles in Sony’s “Dumb Money” as well as in the A24 thriller "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies" where she shared the screen with Pete Davidson, Maria Bakalova and Amandla Sternberg, with Halina Reijn directing. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama, Myha’la currently resides in Brooklyn.