Mayor Zohran Mamdani & Puerto Rican Designer Edwin Reyes Gift Toñita Custom Flag
Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Puerto Rican icon Toñita was honored by the mayor of New York City in a special way. Mayor Zohran Mamdani gifted her a custom Puerto Rico flag that was created by Bronx-based designer Edwin Reyes.
Toñita is the owner of the Caribbean Social Club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that has proudly represented her Puerto Rican roots and traditions since the seventies. The club is also referred to as Toñita’s. Last year, Bad Bunny even mentioned Toñita and her club in his song “NUEVAYoL.” And in February, she made an appearance during Bad Bunny’s Superbowl halftime show performance in a replica of the club.
Yesterday (June 28th), Toñita was celebrating the 52nd anniversary of her beloved space with Toñita Fest, an annual street festival and block party celebrating her and the Puerto Rican community in New York City. And this year Mayor Mamdani was present to honor the legacy of Toñita in a special way.
During Toñita Fest, Mayor Mamdani presented Toñita with an original framed artwork of the Puerto Rican flag. Reyes created the piece called Bandera Viva in her honor. For this three-dimensional artwork, Reyes reimagined a Puerto Rican flag skirt that he designed as a vignette in azul celeste. He opened up about the inspiration behind Bandera Viva with Remezcla.
“It was an honor to create this custom ruffled Puerto Rican flag for @tonitasny,” Reyes shared. “Thank you to @nycmayor for reaching out to E.R. to bring this piece to life. @tonitasny has paved the way for generations of Puerto Ricans, creating a space where our community can gather, celebrate, and be unapologetically themselves. It is a true cultural institution, and we’re grateful to contribute to its legacy through this design.”