Neither angel wings, nor lavish stages, nor international stars: to stage a Victoria's Secret-style fashion show in Cuba, three models, a street filled with garbage, palm fronds, and a good dose of dark humor were all it took. What was the result? A parody that transforms the everyday misfortunes of the country into a fashion spectacle.
Cuban youth Amanda Izquierdo Tapia, Frank Aldea, and Reynier Smith Muras star in the video, in which they parade among accumulated waste, dressed for the occasion and with stage names that seem taken directly from the inventory of national calamities.
"If Victoria's Secret had been made in Cuba. Which was your favorite?" asks the text accompanying the post, inviting the audience to choose between three characters that represent some of the most persistent issues on the Island.
The presentation begins with a nod to state television: “Cubainvisión presents...,” announces a voice, parodying the name of the official broadcaster Cubavisión before introducing the stars of the parade.
The first to appear is «Hepatitis González González», a model wearing a red outfit and a crown, with a heap of waste as a backdrop.
His name plays with hepatitis and the health concerns related to the accumulation of garbage, environmental pollution, and the unsanitary conditions affecting many Cuban communities.
Then comes «Oropuche de la Luz y Sincorriente», who parades smiling in a pink lace garment, eye-catching accessories, and a crown.
The name combines a reference to the Oropouche virus, whose outbreaks raised concern in Cuba, with a much less exotic allusion: the lack of electricity.
The surname "Sincorriente" doesn't require much explanation for those who have spent years organizing their lives around blackouts. In this Cuban version of high fashion, even the models seem to have learned to live without electricity.
The third participant is “There is No Nipinga Coverage”, who appears wearing a bright pink outfit, necklace, and crown, while walking down the same street littered with debris.
Its name is a mockery of connectivity issues, the difficulties in accessing the Internet and the interruptions in telecommunications, at times exacerbated by the energy crisis and the infrastructure limitations of ETECSA.
But the parade doesn't just feature its three stars; it also has sponsors.
And this show is sponsored by the fifteenth downfall of the CENC and public health issues, announces the voice in the video, referencing humorously the national electrical system and the sanitary problems of the country, some of the most recurring (and powerful) issues (that have become businesses) on the island.
The phrase parodies the commercial presentations of grand spectacles, with one evident difference: here, the supposed sponsors do not offer perfumes, lingerie, or cosmetics, but power outages and mountains of trash.
The event is introduced with the name: “This afternoon we bring you the show by Victoria Brete”.
The transformation of the famous international parade into "Victoria Brete" captures the essence of parody: replacing glamour and million-dollar productions with an impromptu runway on a Cuban street, where everyday issues become part of the show.
The choice of setting doesn't seem coincidental either. The three protagonists walk in front of huge piles of garbage, an image that may seem familiar in numerous neighborhoods in Cuba, where difficulties in waste collection have resulted in streets and public spaces being filled with debris for long periods.
The contrast between the models' poses, their accessories, and the dirty surroundings is precisely one of the main comedic resources of the recording.
Instead of hiding the trash, the creators turn it into scenery. And where a conventional parade would aim to convey elegance and exclusivity, this Cuban version openly showcases a reality that is far less sophisticated.
The joke also serves as a social critique. Each name refers to a different problem: diseases linked to health crises, prolonged blackouts, and communication difficulties.
Everything appears mixed with references to Cuban television, beauty pageants, and international shows, in a combination of absurdity and satire that relies on recognizable situations for a large part of the population.
And although the video is intended to provoke laughter, the underlying issues are less amusing: the garbage, power outages, and connectivity problems that inspire its characters are part of the real difficulties faced daily by many Cubans.
Ultimately, this version of Victoria's Secret may not have the famous wings of its models, but it does feature three participants ready to prove that when problems abound and resources are lacking, Cuban humor still finds material to put on a show.
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