Bad Bunny’s kaleidoscopic Super Bowl halftime show doubled as a celebration of Latin culture and a bold political statement. One of the night’s most striking moments came with Lady Gaga’s surprise appearance, when the crowd parted to reveal her in a powder blue dress.

The dress was created by Brooklyn-based fashion designer Raul Lopez, the founder of Luar — his name spelled backwards. The moment marked the live debut of the design in front of millions of viewers, including Lopez himself, who said he had no idea his work would end up on the Super Bowl stage.

Lopez, who was born and raised in Williamsburg in a Dominican family, said the process began quietly with an unexpected message.

“I literally had landed from Europe and woke up at like 4:30 a.m. from jet lag and received a text from Chloe and Chenelle [Delgadillo], Lady Gaga’s stylists, saying, ‘Call me now,’” he recalled.

It was just before Grammy weekend when they told him they wanted to work on a dress for Gaga, mentioning she would be doing a salsa number. They sent him reference images — including looks inspired by Celia Cruz and dresses from the 1990s — but deliberately kept the event itself a secret.

“They never told me it was for the Super Bowl because they didn’t want it to leak,” Lopez said. “When I asked if it was for the Grammys, they said, ‘No, better.’”

The stylists encouraged him to lean fully into his background. “They wanted me to really incorporate my heritage and how I grew up in the Caribbean,” he said. “I love including my heritage, and it was also a way to play with my ultra-femme side.”

The design process came with a few twists. “First they asked for yellow, then blue,” Lopez laughed. “I was like, ‘Is this a gender reveal?’ It became a joke in the office.”

Because Gaga would be dancing salsa, the dress had to balance movement and structure. “She had to be able to move, but it still needed to hug her body in the right way,” he said.

Lopez only discovered the truth when he saw the performance live.

“I was at a friend’s house in Brooklyn. It was a small viewing party — burgers, caviar, fries, nuggets,” he said. “I was sitting on the floor watching, and then the dancers parted and there she was.”

“I just screamed. Everyone screamed, but they didn’t know why. I was like, ‘She’s wearing the dress!’ Then everybody started going crazy.”

He described the moment as surreal. “It was really beautiful and super sweet. I think it was better not knowing — it made it more special.”

Lopez said he doesn’t usually watch the Super Bowl for the game itself. “I always watch the halftime show,” he said. “I’m not really a sports type of gal.”

As for Gaga’s salsa dancing, he didn’t hesitate. “It was iconic. She passes. It showed another side of her and how vast her talent really is.”

Beyond Gaga’s appearance, Lopez said the halftime show resonated deeply with him. “Being Caribbean, I caught all the details Bad Bunny was representing — the sugar cane, the cakes, weddings, piragua, the kid laying across two chairs at a party,” he said. “If you get it, you get it.”

Asked how he would describe himself and his brand, Lopez smiled. “I’m the final boss of New York,” he joked. Then he added, “Luar is a reflection of me. Culturally, it’s one of the most significant brands of this era because it stands for community, people, and culture. I always say it’s like the YMCA of fashion — everyone’s welcome, as long as there’s respect.”