Cubavera, the Latin inspired men’s brand, paid homage to Hispanic Heritage Month with a fashion show and celebration at Manhattan’s El Barrio Artspace PS109. The event invited two hundred guests to experience ‘A Love Affair with Cuba’ – all of the best of the Cuban culture wrapped into an unforgettable experience.

Cubavera reveled in its rich, Hispanic heritage by creating a vivid, authentic Cuban experience for its New York guests. The multifaceted event featured a runway preview of the Cubavera men’s collection along with a bevy of music, food and drinks designed to evoke Cuba’s golden age in the 1950s, and applaud the fashion brand’s well-regarded legacy.

Mojitos and Cuban-fare were passed amidst vibrant Cuban music, inviting guests to “live the good life” – an appropriate setting for a presentation of Cubavera’s current fashion offerings. Supplemented with an impressive state-of-the-art audiovisual tribute, the stimulating evening shared with its guests the very foundation of Cuba’s soul.

In 1967, Cuban-born George Feldenkreis and his brother Isaac established Supreme International. They began by importing children’s school uniforms from Japan into Puerto Rico, then focused on guayaberas, the four pocket embroidered tropical shirt that is one of the most authentic symbols of Latin culture. George expanded the business to Miami, where he became known as the “Guayabera King.”

In 1993, Supreme International completed its initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock market. The company adopted a brand acquisition strategy, based on the premise that consumers buy products that they identify with and trust. The company’s key acquisition came in 1999 with the purchase of the rights to the Perry Ellis trademark. The company changed its name from Supreme International to Perry Ellis International to better reflect the name recognition that the brand provided. Perry Ellis International is one of the largest men’s sportswear companies in the world.

Building on the success of Perry Ellis International, George and Oscar Feldenkreis decided to capitalize on the growth, potential, and appeal of Latin culture by expanding into a full lifestyle brand, and in 2000 launched Cubavera. Since its inception the Cubavera brand has transformed the ideals, joy and “sabor” of Latin culture into apparel. Taking authentic fundamentals from the traditional guayabera, the brand couples innovative fabrics and design for a new twist on a traditional staple. The line has developed from its signature shirts into a collection offering a variety of suit separates, shirts, jackets, pants and shorts. Design inspiration represents cool, clean and relaxed elements combined with innovation, uniqueness and colorful appeal. The collection is appropriate for today’s diversified lifestyle, hence appropriate for a multitude of different social settings.

To view Cubavera’s current Fall/Winter 2016 collection, visit www.cubavera.com.

HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo attending Cubavera’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration