Chanel’s Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-5 copy

As I sit here listening to what has become one of my favorite song “Hasta que seque el Malecon” by Jacob Forever, the anthem of the weekend, so many emotions go through my mind. Back in January, I was told by the CHANEL team that I was going to be one of the few influencers invited to attend this prestigious event in Cuba. Granted, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to go to 2 of theirs shows in Paris, which have been mind blowing, but I knew this trip was going to be completely different. This was my first Cruise Show and to be honest I didn’t have any expectations for this trip because I had no idea what to expect, but WOW, what an experience! 4 incredible days in La Habana Cuba with CHANEL, I never thought I’d be typing that.

I have a lot to share from this trip, including where we stayed, where we ate, all of the activities and events, but first thing first – The Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba… here’s everything that happened the day of the show through my lens…Earlier that morning we headed to an incredible Rum & Cigar tour. We spent the entire morning and afternoon there, followed by a delicious lunch at El Del Frente Restaurant.  I’m planning on showing you guys a bit more from this amazing spot in the next couple of days.

At around 6:15pm all of the guests that were staying at the Hotel Nacional were anxiously waiting for our rides to the show. Minutes after, we learned that we were headed to the show in antique colorful cars, one of the most famous symbols of the Cuban culture. We were greeted by the driver and sent off to attend one of the most exciting events of my entire career.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-3

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-3

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-60

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-60  Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-60

We drove around the streets of La Habana, danced to “Hasta que seque el Malecon” in the car and arrived at Paseo del Prado; an iconic, colorful street that divides Old Havana from Centro Havana. Once there, we were seated along the Paseo del Prado anxiously waiting for the show to begin.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-13

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama-15

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Ibeyi

The Music was insane. The duo Ibeyi along with an orchestra delighted us with some of the most fantastic Caribbean and tropical sounds. It was pretty spectacular, to say the least.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama

Now onto the clothes! One aspect of the trip that was really special to me and a very nice touch was CHANEL providing everyone with a Panama Hat designed by Maison Michel.  I was greeted by this when I walked into my hotel room and being “The Girl from Panama” I knew this was a good sign for things to come! The same hat was used to complement several of the looks that walked down the runway. Another piece that was prevalent were guayaberas, the traditional Cuban shirt with pockets which are very typical of the Latin culture.  As you can probably guess, this show felt really close to my heart.

The colors of La Habana, Cuba; yellow, pink, orange, turquoise, bright green were all notably present in the show. There were lots of military inspired pieces. Fringe, feather, sequins, embroidery were pervasive from start to finish. It was extremely elaborate!

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba  Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

As CHANEL labeled it, the “tropical vegetation” was one of the main themes. Skirts with beautiful leaf prints, cigar motifs, birds of paradise, all reminiscent of Cuban culture.  They also had fun t-shirts labeled Coco Cuba and bags with sequins labeled CHANEL LA HABANA celebrating the Cuban culture.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel's Cruise Show in Cuba

My favorite moment of the show was when Karl Lagerfeld walked down the runway with his godson, Hudson Kroenig, followed by a Cuban Conga party where all of the models and guests danced and celebrated the collection!

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.  Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.  Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Karl Largerfeld and Hudson Kroenig.

You can check out a quick video of the finale HERE on my Instagram.

 When the show ended, the night was far from over! We headed to the after party, again we were lucky enough to be chauffeured in gorgeous antique cars. The party continued at the Plaza de la Catedral in Havana Old Town.

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba, after party

Chanel Cruise Cuba, Pam Hetlinger, The Girl From Panama, Chanel Cruise Show in Cuba, after party

To be able to be part of such a historic event hosted by perhaps the world’s most iconic brand was truly life changing. The clothes, the music, the people, it truly felt like a celebration of the latin culture and everything I’m passionate about. This will be an event that stays near and dear to my heart for years to come.  Thank you CHANEL for such an unforgettable experience!

 Also, don’t forget to follow along on Instagram with the hashtag #CHANELCRUISECUBA. For more behind the scenes content click HERE. Stay tuned for more! 

En Español

Mientras estoy aquí sentada escribiendo esta historia escuchando lo que se ha convertido en una de mis canciones favoritas “hasta que seque el Malecon” de Jacob Forever, el himno del fin de semana, muchas emociones pasan por mi mente. En enero me comunicó el equipo de CHANEL que yo iba a ser una de los pocas bloggers invitadas a asistir a este evento en Cuba. En otras ocasiones he tenido la increíble oportunidad de ir a 2 de sus shows en París, que han sido espectaculares, pero sabía que este viaje iba a ser completamente diferente. Para ser honesta, no tenía ninguna expectativa de este viaje, pero WOW, ¡qué experiencia! 4 días inolvidables en La Habana Cuba con CHANEL, nunca pensé que iba a poder escribir esto.

Tengo mucho que compartir de este viaje, incluyendo donde nos alojamos, donde comimos, todos mis atuendos, todas las actividades y eventos, pero lo primero que quiero compartir es todo lo que sucedió el día del show. Aquí está todo lo que sucedió el día del espectáculo a través de mi lente…

Esa mañana nos dirigimos a un increíble tour de Ron y Habanos. Pasamos toda la mañana y la tarde ahí, seguido por un delicioso almuerzo en el restaurante El Del Frente. En los próximos días les estaré mostrando más de estas experiencias.

Aproximadamente a las 6:15pm todos los huéspedes que se alojaban en el Hotel Nacional, estábamos esperando ansiosamente por nuestro transporte. Minutos después, nos enteramos de que íbamos al show en carros antiguos, uno de los símbolos más famosos de la cultura cubana.

Condujimos por las calles de La Habana, bailamos al ritmo de “Hasta que seque el Malecon” en el carro y llegamos al Paseo del Prado; una colorida calle icónica, que divide la Habana Vieja desde el Centro de La Habana.

La música fue una locura. El dúo Ibeyi junto con una orquesta nos deleitaron con una música tropical y del Caribe. Fue bastante espectacular!

Ahora, la ropa! Uno de los aspectos más especiales del viaje y un toque muy agradable fue que CHANEL nos obsequió a todos los invitados un sombrero Panamá Hat diseñado por Maison Michel. Lo encontré en mi habitación del hotel, y como yo soy  “La Chica de Panamá” sabía que esto era una buena señal para las sorpresas que iban venir! El mismo sombrero fue utilizado para complementar varios de los atuendos que caminaba por la pasarela. Otra piezas que fue predominantes en el show fueron las guayaberas, la camiseta tradicional cubana con bolsillos, que son muy típicas de la cultura latina. Como probablemente pueden adivinar, este show lo sentí muy cerca de mi corazón.

Los colores de La Habana, Cuba; amarillo, rosa, naranja, turquesa, verde brillante fueron especialmente presentes en el show. Había muchas piezas con inspiración militar. Flecos, plumas, lentejuelas y bordados también fueron las estrellas del show, desde el comienzo hasta el final. Todo extremadamente elaborado!

Etiquetado por CHANEL, “la vegetación tropical” fue un tema principal. Las faldas con hermosas impresiones de hojas, aves del paraíso, todo inspirado en la cultura cubana. También tenían camisetas divertidas etiquetadas Coco Cuba y bolsas con lentejuelas que decían CHANEL LA HABANA celebrando la cultura cubana.

Mi momento más emotivo y favorito del show fue cuando Karl Lagerfeld caminó por la pasarela con su ahijado, Hudson Kroenig, seguido por una fiesta de Conga Cubana en donde las modelos y los invitados nos paramos a bailar al ritmo de la música y celebramos la colección y este momento histórico para la marca.

Cuando el espectáculo terminó, la noche estaba lejos de terminar! Después nos dirigimos a la fiesta de clausura. Una vez más, tuvimos la suerte de que nos llevaran a la fiesta en estos hermosos carros antiguos. La fiesta continuó en la Plaza de la Catedral de La Habana Vieja.

El haber sido parte de este momento histórico organizado por unas de mis marcas más queridas e icónicas del mundo, ha sido verdaderamente un evento que me ha marcado para toda la vida. La ropa, la música, la gente, realmente sentí que este evento fue una celebración de mi cultura latina y todo lo que me apasiona. Gracias CHANEL por hacer de estos 4 días una experiencia inolvidable!

No se olviden de seguir toda la experiencia  en Instagram con el hashtag #CHANELCRUISECUBA. Pronto les estaré compartiendo muchísimo más!

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TOP / PANTS / NECKLACE / CLUTCH c/o CHANEL Cruise Collection in Dubai.

All photos by me.

Chanel’s Cruise Show in Cuba
https://thegirlfrompanama.com/chanel-cruise-show-in-cuba/