INTERVIEW #14 CLANDESTINA
“Clandestina is actually Cuba’s first independent sustainable clothing brand.”
Tell us about Clandestina!
Clandestina is a Cuban fashion brand founded in 2015 by designer Idania Del Rio and Leire Fernandez. Believe it or not but Clandestina is actually Cuba's first independent sustainable clothing brand, and a unique collective of designers, artists, and creators. All the products are designed by our team based in Old Havana, sourced from whatever we can find, made wherever we need to make them, and brought to you however we can. Cuba is a beautiful country and island, perfect for Mojitos, dancing and beach hangouts but business wise, things take a lot of time and lead times are usually slow, very slow…
Where are your products manufactured?
All of our products are designed in Havana while some of them are made in the US, because we don't have much choice. Manufacturing in Cuba and shipping abroad is nearly impossible. Navigating through intense US and Cuban import/export regulations and abiding by high tariffs made our heads spin. Instead, we brainstormed and found a way. All our products on the website are sustainably sourced, printed by our partners in Columbia, SC, and shipped all over the world.
What is the meaning of the word “Clandestina”?
It’s Spanish for clandestine, forbidden. Clandestina is a female clandestine.
Where is Clandestina available?
In Cuba at our Havana shop, in Pop-up boutiques in Williamsburg, New York and in Miami and we recently opened a permanent spot in Manhattan at The Canvas Bowery, powered by Querencia Studio, New York. Clandestina is also available worldwide at https://clandestina.co/
How has Covid-19 affected the brand?
We have been hit by Covid-19 in both positive and negative ways. On the good side, the pandemic has let us develop our e-commerce platform further. This is a quite new and radical sales channel both for our brand and on Cuba in general, we are kind of pioneers in that field and very happy about it. It’s an opportunity that has opened many doors for us and turned Clandestina into an international brand instead of just a Havana brand for tourists. Thankfully we are stubborn people, so we have been fighting to keep Clandestina alive throughout the pandemic.
We are right now in semi lockdown and not able to move between cities and regions which has resulted in fewer local customers. It has also made it more difficult in our daily work due to our two workshops located in different regions. We need to get special permits to move around which has made everything more complicated. On the other hand, the crisis has also given us a lot of time to reflect and peacefully think about the next step of our journey, which we see as an opportunity.
Leire has throughout the whole pandemic been very positive and enthusiastic, meanwhile me Idania, I’m more realistic. But in the end, we are the perfect balance for each other and the team.
“What we do is that we use whatever we find on the island, we reuse leftovers from other productions to make new products, for instance handbags, pouches and so on. Reuse and recycle is in our DNA. ”
What makes Clandestina a sustainable brand?
Sustainability is key in our business model. What we do is that we use whatever we find on the island, we reuse leftovers from other productions to make new products, for instance handbags, pouches and so on. Reuse and recycle is in our DNA. But it’s not always that easy, sometimes we don’t find the material we’re looking for so instead we have to be creative and find something different to produce the idea and sometimes it turns out even better. We’re very open and dynamic and committed to always maintain a certain quality of our products. Our collections and products are limited, no mass production. We would never use raw materials if we can reuse existing materials instead. We also have a partnership with Giotex, one of the most important companies in the Americas regarding production of sustainable textiles. We have joined efforts towards a Sustainable Caribbean in order to take the most proper and adequate responsibility for the future of our region.
What has been the biggest gain in your journey so far?
We have reached many milestones on our journey, but we think the start of selling Clandestina through Pop-up stores in New York has been one of the biggest gains so far. To bring the identity of Cuba to the world is just so beautiful. Cuba is a very isolated island due to politics, but oh so rich in culture and we want to share this with the rest of the world.
Another really important and big gain for us is the local market here in Havana. We have gathered around 10 000 people to our loyalty programme with recurring customers which makes us so happy and impressed of ourselves.
What is Greenwashing to YOU?
We believe greenwashing is very connected to marketing. Brands are communicating something about themselves that is not true. We also think it’s wrong to state that a garment is made out of 50% recycled material, okay, but how about the rest? This is not the right way! For us transparency is everything.
“The lack of resources and options here make us creative to actually make the things we need ourselves and not buy new, because the “new” is not available here.”
What is your best advice to fashion consumers who want a sustainable closet?
Shop second hand for sure, swap clothes with friends and buy from transparent local brands! But for us here in Cuba sustainability is basic, it’s there without even thinking about it. The lack of resources and options here make us creative to actually make the things we need ourselves and not buy new, because the “new” is not available here.
We suggest that people think an extra time about what they’re going to buy next, do research, who is behind the brand, where was it manufactured, what material is it, can it be recycled? So, instead of just buying a garment because it’s beautiful think about why you want it in your closet and the story behind it, do your homework!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
First of all, we get a lot of inspiration from Cuba and the Cubans and the way we’re facing things here, how resilient the society is and just the fact that the world crisis is something permanent here. Our philosophy and key word is Resolver which means to resolve in Spanish, the way to not give up but to find a solution inspires us a lot. We don’t accept the sentence “I can’t” because “Yes, you can” just find another way. We can also just open the window and look out to find new fresh inspiration, the colors of the Caribbean, the sun, the beach, culture, music, the rhythm and so on. That's our inspiration: a way to not only deal with the ups and downs of life, but to enjoy them like the waves of the ocean. Surfs up!
With Clandestina, you get pure Cuban design.
Well, maybe not totally pure. Mostly pure.
Like, 99% pure
Because nothing is perfect.
Follow Clandestina’s exciting journey at clandestina.co and @clandestina99
“Our philosophy and key word is Resolver which means to resolve in Spanish, the way to not give up but to find a solution inspires us a lot.”