CUBA AND CHANEL
From May to mid-June, the fashion world packs their bags and travels to the exotic locations of the resort shows. This year, the most talked about destination was Havana, Cuba, where Chanel’s 2016 Cruise Show was held. Karl Lagerfeld is known for exploring intricate and diverse locations for his resort show, so it is no surprise that he chose Cuba as his backdrop. With the improved relations between the USA and Cuba, Cuba no longer has the boundary of being untouchable and in a state of turmoil, but instead a puzzle to be solved.
The highly anticipated show was held in the Paseo del Prado, which sits on the border of Old Havana and Centro Habana. Over 600 guests came to the extravaganza, including Gisele and Tilda Swinton, as well as Cuban celebrities. Due to its location in the heart of Havana, many local Cubans were able to watch from the balconies of apartments. In total, Lagerfeld showcased 85 women’s and men’s looks as well as two children’s look sported by Hudson, Karl Lagerfeld’s adorable godson.
According to Chanel’s official statement about holding the show in Cuba, Lagerfeld has been constantly inspired by the “cultural richness” of Cuba, making it the perfect spot to hold the 2016 Cruise Show. Lagerfeld is not the only one inspired by Cuba’s history and new standing in international politics, both Stella McCartney and Proenza Schouler have said their 2016 resort collections are also inspired by Cuban culture. But even with its cultural richness, Cuba does not have a huge fashion clientele due to Fidel Castro’s intense communist politics which include the destruction of the private sector of Cuba’s economy. But with the new budding relationship between Cuba and the US, many believe Raul Castro, Fidel Castro’s younger brother, is more open to interacting with capitalist countries while staying true to its communist ethos. Many speculated about whether the Cuban government and foreign capitalist governments can successfully interact when Chanel announced it was going to Cuba.
Women’s Wear Daily quoted a Cuban diplomat stating, “Cuba always considered consumerism and individualism as contrary to the values of the egalitarian and frugal society it cherishes. At the same time, culture and the arts, including foreign ones, have always been highly valued in society.” In a country where the average salary is around $25 a month, the thought of purchasing luxury brands such as Chanel is unheard of for many Cubans. It is unclear whether Chanel and other luxury brands could flourish in this economic environment due to the lack of clientele, but this is where many believe the addition of foreign brands to Cuba’s economy would be beneficial. Through their influence, these brands can help grow awareness of Cuban culture, build Cuban tourism and infrastructure, create jobs and allow for Cuba to grow faster than it ever has in the past. Many believe the way to help Cuba grow is to not insert outside influence, but help local artisans and designers grow, allowing them to design for the people they know and can connect with.
Many see growth and international effect as an easy way for Cuba to lose their political foundation. In a statement to WWD from Leire Fernandez, a Cuban boutique owner, regarding which foreign players will succeed, she states: “Those who respect, learn and understand how we do things here, not trying to impose anything and not pretending to be better or make things better than the Cubans. This is a different country.” People cannot deny that outside influence will allow Cuba to grow and expand its infrastructure, but they must understand where their influence will stop. Cuba may not fit the ideal model of a stable country from a Western, capitalist perspective, but luxury brands must deal with that if they want to see any growth in their relationship. Although, there can be positives to inserting outside influence in Cuba, many Cubans and internationals are unsure if foreigners understand where their influence needs to stop and allow for Cuba to be its own country. It is uncertain whether the private sector and outside influence can mix with traditional Cuban culture and how Cuba will allow others to come in and be a part of a country that is strong in its own ways.
On the surface, interest from the fashion industry may help Cuba’s economy to grow, but there is exploitation involved when designers romanticize a culture and its history for their own creative gain. For this show, over 600 guests flew in to see Karl Lagerfeld’s interpretation of Cuba, not truly Cubans themselves. In an interesting fact according to CNN, Chanel rented over 100 vintage 1950s cars to line Paseo del Prado, but according to one of the owners of these vintage cars, these are extremely hard to come by and very rarely do Cubans see these cars throughout the cities. Pulling from Cuba’s past, more specifically pre-1950, is where many believe the cycle of exploitation will begin. Lagerfeld is not seeking to understand modern Cuba and the daily life of Cuba’s citizen, but instead focuses exclusively on the romantic past of Cuba before families were forced to leave in the night and separate forever. This disconnect to the true history of Cuba is directly shown through Lagerfeld’s creative decision to create his own caps based on the Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara, with the simple swap of the Chanel symbol for Che Guevara’s star. To Cubans, in both Cuba and America, that cap is not a simple fashion statement, but a memory of the past and how their lives were changed forever. In a glowing interview with Tilda Swinton following the show, Swinton stated that this show was ”a fantasy version” of what everyone hoped Cuba could be. That is the greatest problem of the foreigner's perspective—many, such as the fashion elite, do not seek to understand current Cuba and modern culture, but the nostalgic, fantasy culture of the past that seems romantic and simple though that is far from what all Cubans know today.
It would be absurd to say all brands need to do what Chanel has done with Cuba (praising their culture opposed to degrading it), but they should be commended for their exploration and desire to work within Cuba’s framework. Only time will tell if this new relationship will stay in the Honeymoon phase forever.