Osmany Laffita is a well-known fashion designer of Cuban origin who has achieved worldwide fame. As a fashion architect, he dresses many well-known personalities and is talked about on the pages of fashion magazines. With his story about his life, he also visited Česká Lípa, where a sold-out KD Crystal hall awaited him. Right from the start, it was clear that it would be a performance full of surprises.
You worked as an editor for a fashion magazine in Havana. Have you considered trying to be a fashion editor again?
It’s complicated, because when I watch people write fashion columns here, or about fashion as such, it’s often people who don’t even care about fashion. For example, when they write about what a celebrity wore, even if it doesn’t suit the celebrity, but she is their friend, they write how it suits her. Fashion is my passion and I take it seriously. In my opinion, fashion is not trends, fashion is what you see on the street, how people dress, and that’s where inspiration comes from. A lot of things could be written about it. But if I were a fashion editor and could write my own way, no one would want to read it.
You studied painting, you’ve been a great dancer since you were young, you came to Prague to study piano and clarinet. Do you also draw inspiration from these fields? Have you ever found a use for them?
They are all different fields, so I don’t use them in my work. I enjoyed painting a lot, but I wouldn’t find any use in it. However, it’s great for relaxation, it even works as therapy for me. I still dance because I enjoy it and it makes me happy. But I don’t use either in my work..
You dress famous personalities and members of royal families from all over the world. Do you see any difference in the approach to fashion and dressing between Czech and foreign clients?
A lot, it makes a big difference. I dressed a Thai princess, I dressed a Spanish princess who is a cousin of the King of Spain. Even if they could dress modernly, they must follow a certain protocol, they must not be too exposed and the like. Stars, on the other hand, want to be visible, but they are also beautiful to work with because they choose you because you like their style and give you a free hand to create. But here in the Czech Republic it is complicated. A lot of them would rather rent a dress than buy it, and I’m not a rental company. I don’t do that, I have my own style and I make clothes specifically for that person.
Your husband is a great support for you, whether in your private life or in business. Conversely, is there anything your husband relies on you for?
Definitely, my husband and I complement each other perfectly. There are many things in which I advise him, and there are many things in which he advises me. It is true that he deals with financial, marketing and organizational things and I do the art. And so it is in private life, he has his character and I have mine. But when there are problems, we don’t throw them away, we sit down, solve the problem, talk about it and don’t get up until we solve it. This leads to us celebrating thirty years together.
You are a fashion designer, you have your own cosmetics brand, you also do interior design. How do you keep yourself from burning out?
I have to say that there are moments when I think I really can’t go on. But life changes and evolves, like evolution, and one must move on. When I started, I knew that I wouldn’t just sew dresses, I would make fashion, and that’s a huge world. It’s not just clothes, it’s design, it’s style, you’ll find jewelry, cosmetics, but also interior design. It is about everything that is beautiful, that shapes a lifestyle. So, when I can’t do it in one industry anymore, I move to another.
Do you have any advice for the people in the factory on how not to lose the joy of life in such an environment?
I worked in the factory, even for three shifts. But you make your own lifestyle and enjoyment of life, no one can dictate how you live. You have to find what satisfies you, what you like and it will make you happy even when you are working. Cinderella also had to scrub the floors and wash the dishes, but that one day she became a princess. It has nothing to do with your job or if you are poor or rich, because even with little money you can get nice things that will make you happy.
If you could see into the future for a moment before leaving for the Czech Republic and see everything that awaits you, would you leave Cuba?
I love my country and I see my future there, but when I’m old and I just rest, relax on the beach and others will take care of me. But that’s until the future. If I had to look back like this, yes, even though I had a lot of bad experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am now without it.
Author: Karen Doležalová
