FOX (2): DJUNA BEL. PARADE AND FACADE: COURTESY OF CHANEL
TRAVEL Diary
HAVANA Nights L.A.-based illustrator and model LANGLEY FOX recounts her trip to CUBA for the Chanel show and an afternoon at her late great-grandfather’s home
Here we were, my best friend and I, taking a trip with Chanel to the infamous Cuba for the Cruise 2017 presentation. Not knowing what to expect, I had memories of good times when I traveled there as an 11-year-old. We landed and, from the start, my mind was exploding: the colors, the dilapidated buildings, the retro cars, men calling out to you. So far, not disappointed. We got into a hot-pink 1957 Buick Electra convertible and were ready to explore. We drove through Bosque de La Habana, an incredible forest park of overgrown vines and trees. Our driver surprised us with tunes: The Beach Boys, The Cramps, Elvis, perfect for our cruise down the beachfront. Landing satisfied back at Hotel Saratoga (hotel-saratoga.com), it was time to gallop off to dinner with the rest of the Chanel invitees. Day two arrived and we had things to do! First, El Floridita (floridita-cuba.com) for a portrait with Vogue Japan. The bar had been a favorite of my great-grandfather Ernest Hemingway and they had favored him— like all of Cuba, really. Next we headed to Ernest’s home, Finca Vigía [meaning “lookout house”] (hemingwaycuba.com), which he bought in 1940. I peered into his life; exploring the pool, his boat, the tombstones of
C 96 SUMMER 2016
Clockwise: LANGLEY FOX visits ERNEST HEMINGWAY’s Cuba residence. The CHANEL finale became a party in the street. The Chanel Cruise 2017 presentation took place on the Paseo del Prado. Fox poses beside a vintage car in OLD HAVANA.
Travel (turn) his four dogs and the grounds. After much convincing, my friend and I were allowed in the actual house—a woman went on to tell me more than I had ever learned about my great-grandfather. She showed us the logo he had painted on all his diningware (which was incredibly similar to my tattoos)—the first time I’d ever laid eyes upon it. I welled up, sitting there in tears, appreciating the beautiful atmosphere of an incredible man. It was a chance of a lifetime I will never forget. It was time to ready ourselves for the Chanel show. We drove down in another retro car and entered an oversized walkway in the middle of the street. With locals watching from their balconies, the show began. A spectacular band assembled by Michel Gaubert filled the air, and the girls and boys walked with a little sass in their step and kick in their heel, reflecting the Cuban spirit. The next day was our last in Cuba. And after getting lost in the winding streets, we had to pack our bags and say goodbye to this lovely place that has stayed “as is” for so long. •