Fashion Icon RuPawl Unleashes Fierce New Line of Doggie Drag Apparel

RuPawl the Doggie Drag Queen, the two-time Webby Award-winning canine influencer, is inspiring other pooches to show off their resplendence, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. The Instagram sensation recently launched a collection of canine clothing and accessories inspired by the queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Dubbed Doggie Drag, the fashion line features an array of stunning and flamboyant pieces that capture the essence of drag culture.

“Our line of dog clothing and accessories are about celebrating individuality and self-expression,” says Doggie Drag founder and CEO Dr. José Lizárraga. “Four-legged divas can shine as bright as the queens on the show.”

Featuring a range of eye-catching outfits, from brightly colored feather boas and sparkling sequined dog tags to bold statement charms, every piece is designed with a keen eye for detail and a commitment to quality, ensuring that dogs look and feel their best while strutting their sassy tails on the streets.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, the RuPawl phenomenon started 2017 when Lizárraga began posting images of the little pup that he and his partner, Dr. Arturo Cortez, rescued from the San Francisco SPCA. Fans instantly loved the playful and curious chihuahua for its fierce and fabulous looks.

Lizárraga took some time to talk more about RuPawl and Doggie Drag with OFM.

Can you begin by telling us more about how the phenomenon of RuPawl began?

We started dressing RuPawl a few years back when we lived in San Francisco, and something we encountered a lot when we first got our pooch was that people were really obsessed with RuPawl’s gender. Even when we would go on walks, and of course, RuPawl is a cute dog, so people would want to stop and see them, but one of the first questions they would ask is, what is their gender? My husband would be like, well, they haven’t decided their gender (laughs). He would say it flippantly because it was like, it’s absurd that people are so obsessed with gender. It’s just a cute dog.

So, we started experimenting, being like, it doesn’t matter what gender our dog is. They can be a fabulous dog and a fabulous queen, just like any drag artist. That’s where we started experimenting with our dog being this doggie drag queen. At first, we would Photoshop a lot of stuff. Then when we started getting more recognition—I’m an artist and I also know how to sew, so I decided to start making the outfits, rather than just photoshopping them. So, that’s where it all began, and it blossomed into something very cool.

Yeah, RuPawl quickly went viral after you started posting the Drag Race outfits. Were you at all surprised by the response?

A little bit because for a while, I felt like drag, even though it has become more mainstream because of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, was still catered for certain people. Only certain people would look at it, see it, or understand it, and at the beginning, some people were really upset that we were doing this. They’d be like, oh, this is animal abuse. Well, it’s not animal abuse when you put your dog in a T-shirt, but it’s suddenly animal abuse when it’s drag. It was totally ridiculous, but overall, audiences loved it, and I kind of had to pinch myself.

Then it became a completely different thing when the actual queens started to recognize us. Unfortunately, because I’m only one person, I don’t always get to all the queens in a season. So, when I do recreate something. I message the queen directly. When Sasha Colby got onto the show, I messaged her and was like, hey, by the way, you’re going to be one of our first recreations of this season. She responded, being like, “I finally made it!” Like, are you kidding me? You’re on Drag Race; that’s why you made it (laughs).

Somehow, the idea that we will recreate their looks makes them very excited. The same thing happened when we did Jimbo’s All Stars 8 promo look. She’s been on several seasons, but we just haven’t gotten around to doing one of her looks yet. When we informed Jimbo, she was beyond excited.

Because of RuPawl’s fame, you recently launched a fierce line of drag queen-inspired apparel for dogs called Doggie Drag, which features a range of eye-catching outfits. How did you pick and choose what you wanted to include in the collection?

That was very hard because it takes a long time to recreate the most elaborate, iconic pieces, and with Doggie Drag, we wanted to make sure everything was correct right from the get-go, that any of the recreated items were recognized as drag and not just outfits that you would buy at any pet shop. Something more than just a simple dress or shirt. Because of the popularity of Drag Race, we wanted to try and recreate some of the most iconic looks that spanned across seasons, so one of the first looks we did was RuPaul’s intro “Start Your Engines” jumpsuit.

It’s not identical, but it’s heavily inspired, and it’s recognizable. It’s hot pink with a crystal star on the front, checked flags, and some iconic little patches you would see on a racer’s outfit. We also have a recreation of one of RuPaul’s dresses that was inspired by Zaldy, who is one of the main designers that RuPaul works with. Off the shoulder, very big, and recognizable drag. So, we’re going to continue to do that and tap into the iconic images of popular drag that is not too season- or queen-specific.

I will say, as we continue to move forward and expand, if an opportunity presents itself to collaborate with some Drag Race alumni or any other drag queen, and to create some type of partnership with them, that would be awesome.

What have been some of Doggie Drag’s top selling items so far?

The “Start Your Engines” jumpsuit, which surprised me because I wasn’t sure if people were going to get it. When I prototyped it and did some test audiences, they were like, that’s iconic! But I still wasn’t sure, so I didn’t create too many of them at first. Once they started selling, I was like, “Oh, I guess this is the one!” So, that is a top seller, and also our bandanas for our more butch doggies. It’s much more accessible, especially for dogs who might not like to wear clothes.

What would you say is the ultimate mission of the Doggie Drag collection?

First of all, a lot of this is inspired by our fans who have been clamoring for this. Every time we post something, they’re like, “Please create some of this for our dogs to wear.” So, we are listening to our fans, and that has really been at the forefront of developing this product line.

Also, I think especially right now in the current climate that we’re in, where our artistry and communities are under attack, I think this contributed to the broader narrative that showcases how drag is beauty and art, and that it’s not just for humans. The ideas and aesthetics of drag is something that we can spread across different types of markets and beings in this world. It’s a continuation of our mission to really show how drag can bring joy, light, laughter, and love to the world.

Although Doggie Drag recently launched, what are some long-term goals you hope the collection achieves?

We just hope to continue doing this, and we hope to have some seasonal looks. For Pride, we launched a rainbow gown, and even though it’s still catering to the drag aesthetic, it’s more RuPawl Doggie Drag-inspired, not inspired by popular drag queens. And as I mentioned earlier, we would love to collaborate with other drag queens and artists at some point. I would love to have a collaboration with someone like Sasha Velour, who has a very specific aesthetic that I love, but I haven’t figured out how to translate it into a look. There are so many drag queens out there I would love to work with on this!

Stay up-to-date and connect with RuPawl by following the pooch on Instagram @rupawl_official or visit rupawl.com. For more information and to purchase Doggie Drag items, visit doggiedrag.com.

Photos courtesy of José Lizárraga