A reel published on Instagram by the user Siena de Rossi has revived the fascinating connection between Cuba and Parisian haute couture, showcasing a dress that the renowned designer Christian Dior created, inspired by the elegance of Cuban women.
The design officially cataloged as Cuba, Haute Couture Fall-Winter 1954, H line at the Galerie Dior, is a set featuring a dress and coat with a small, elongated bust and a voluminous pale pink tulle skirt, a silhouette characteristic of the style that Dior established in the post-war era.
The naming of that piece after the island was not coincidental. In the 1950s, Havana was a hub of luxury and sophistication where the Cuban high society donned the latest creations from Dior, Chanel, and Givenchy.
The highest symbol of that splendor was El Encanto, a grand department store founded in 1888 and regarded as the most elegant in the Caribbean.
In 1952, the store secured the exclusive rights to Christian Dior for all of North America, which meant that American buyers wishing to purchase an original model had only two options: travel to Paris or Havana.
Some sources claim that Dior was at the El Encanto store, but there is no evidence through images or newspaper clippings of any trip by the designer to Havana.
Dior was not a great traveler, although he did visit the Caribbean, but according to Galerie Dior, the city he visited was Caracas, Venezuela.
Among the women from Cuba who have worn designs by Dior is Norka Méndez. She is still regarded today as the most famous Cuban model of all time.
Norka walked the runway in Paris for Christian Dior in the 1950s and 60s, shared the stage with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, and was immortalized by the photographer Alberto Korda, her husband.
The fashion of that dazzling Havana later influenced contemporary designers such as Carolina Herrera and Óscar de la Renta.
All that elegance abruptly disappeared after the 1959 Revolution. El Encanto was nationalized in 1961, and luxury in dressing became a nostalgic memory.
Filed under: