LUAR’s Dominican Day Float Isn’t About Fashion — It’s About Family

The Bronx Dominican Day Parade has long been a cornerstone of New York’s Dominican Pride Week, but this year it carried an added resonance as Raul Lopez, the creative force behind LUAR, brought his world to the Grand Concourse.

“Because LUAR is Dominican. It’s Brooklyn. It’s queer. It’s family. And those intersections rarely get centred in spaces like this—especially with intention and power. I wanted to create a moment that wasn’t just about fashion but about representation, community, and claiming space our way. Bringing Latinos together and different cultures to the parade. The float wasn’t about promotion; it was about presence. About saying: ‘We’re here, and we’ve always been here.’” Lopez shares with SC.

The Gran Parada Dominicana de El Bronx, now in its 35th year, has always celebrated the history, rhythms, and vibrant soul of the Dominican Republic, from diablos cojuelos in their ruffled costumes to the sounds of merengue and bachata drifting over the crowd. But Lopez’s participation marked a fresh energy, a weaving together of tradition and the future.

His float, emblazoned with the words, “LUAR PA LA CULTURA”  (“LUAR FOR THE CULTURE”), was in equal parts a spectacle of joy and a declaration of heritage. The designer joined the parade, dancing and walking with friends and collaborators like Tokischa, La Más Doll, and Dascha Polanco, alongside thousands of proud Dominicans lining the streets. 

The day didn’t end when the parade did. In true LUAR spirit, Lopez invited everyone to continue the celebration at Bushwick’s 154 Scott. The night climaxed when Tokischa and La Más Doll gave a surprise preview of their new track. All of this is an extension of Lopez’s vision, a space where fashion, music, and culture converge, and where Dominicans—and anyone who understands the spirit of the moment—can exist and flourish in, as the designer puts, “full colour, full joy, full power.”

Photography by Andy Martinez. Courtesy of LUAR