Family affair
TXT: YOSS / RÓMULO SANS PHOTO: RÓMULO SANS

Cuban fashion is a family affair. In a world without bookers or agents or private agencies, for many well-known models, the eminence grise of their success is an anxious, inexhaustible mother.
They accompany their darlings to castings. They talk to the directors, find whatever the producers or photographers need. They infiltrate the dressing rooms and argue with the stylists: “Don’t wet my daughter’s hair!”; “My little girl’s not wearing that!” Never mind that the ‘little girl’ is over 18 years old and 1,80 m tall! During Cubamoda and other catwalk shows, they reserve seats in the front row, traditional fiefdom of photographers. If one happens to be missing and you manage to get a seat among them, you’ll hear them boasting about their little girls’ careers and you’ll know when each one’s daughter appears by the frenzied applause. Eight of this year’s best Cuban models invite us to meet their mothers at home in familiar daily surroundings...

TSUNAMI
Her father saw a photo of a tidal wave in a magazine given to him by some Japanese friends and that’s how she got her name. Her family comes from Santa Cruz but she stays with an aunt in Havana. She started at the ACAA, then modelled at the Habana Libre hotel and at La Maison. She is studying English at the Tamara Bunke School “because mummy wants me to make use of my time. We both know this modelling business won’t last forever.”

+ information pág. 34-41 The H Book 2007 08