I was given the opportunity to travel to Havana, Cuba for Sunglass Hut and their #ShadesOfYou campaign with my friend and talented photographer Yesi of Simply Lively. What a freaking amazing experience, to say the least, and such impeccable timing too (our trip was just a few days before the Chanel/celebrity invasion explosion). All eyes have been on the island nation as of late, thanks to thawing US-Cuba relations, and I was eager to see the real Cuba (yes, the real essence of Cuba) for myself, so Yesi and I did what we do best – we took to the streets and explored as much as we could, shooting for Sunglass Hut and meeting amazing people along the way.

We learned so much about daily life there. Our driver René, a warm-hearted man in his fifties, guided us and eagerly spoke to us about past experiences intermingled with what he hopes for the future.  One thing is obvious, change is coming. You can feel it in the air; spurts of (American) English overheard when you turn a corner. And while the younger generation does have a respect for what the older generation accomplished, they are ready to experience a more relaxed political atmosphere, with more economic opportunities to exercise their own profession and exercise their own talents.

*Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions regarding my time there, or what I’m wearing, and be sure to follow on Instagram for outtakes and more*