Playboy Mosiac

wearing Playboy shirt from the 70s, vintage mini skirt with rhinestone sides, vintage croc embossed envelope clutch,  AA tights, Lady Daf mary-janes by Christian Louboutin

 Vintage playbunnies circa 1964

Cloud Nine

wearing french connection top, J Brand peach jeans, vintage pumps, Prada sunglasses; Eric Cahan sunset photography
These Prada sunglasses have been sitting in a box almost the entire summer because I've loyal to my black Biagotti's the entire time. I decided to give them a daylight break for once while running around Downtown Miami like a mad woman in this get-up. The colors speak to me about sunsets and the beautiful shades the sky turns when the sun sneaks past the horizon. At the moment I'm really inspired by Eric Cahan's photography of those enchanting twilight hours. Sublime.

Isla Bonita

in order of appearance: vintage t-shirt, american apparel track shorts, vintage hat and Gap sandals; ; vintage hat, vintage 50s gingham dress Gap sandals, square resin bangles from Cuba, Coach Classic bag; vintage hat, vintage Jordache romper, Gap Sandals; vintage hat, Laura Biagiotti sunglasses, Cynthia Rowley eyelet dress, miu miu belt, Gap sandals; crochet bikini by Pursuit.

Some photo-highlights from my journey through Cuba, from Havana to Varadero. 

Havana Style Inspiration

Carmen Miranda in That Night in Rio

Dovima (in the first bikini to be seen away from France) for Harper's Bazaar, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1945

 Bette Paige

Eve Arnold - Bar Girl in a Brothel, Havana, Cuba, 1954

Vacation for me this year feels a bit more like an overdue pilgrimage than a self-indulgent holiday. Both of my grandparents migrated from Cuba to New Jersey before the Castro revolution in the 50s, and since then no one I'm related to has cared to go back or at least see for the first time their roots, or rather, ruins. The means of getting a visa and transporting myself to the motherland has not been an easy task. Thanks to my friend Debbie, whose family friend owns a travel agency specifically for traveling to Cuba, I was able to get a ticket on a charter plane to take me to my pearl in the Caribbean....basically for free! It's three of us (two fire signs and a cancer) that are traveling together, we are all Cuban, some more than others,  but i'm basically the only one who hasn't been yet. Many new   discoveries and revelations are underway, and I can't wait! Hopefully lots of vintage discoveries too. 

It's a 7-day trip, 2 of which are going to be spent on El Varadero beach sipping on mojitos under a wide-brimmed hat. Packing has to be light, very light and the outfits can't be too ostentatious, this leaves me in a bit of a humdrum. The outfit i'm wearing in the first picture is by Marc Jacobs and is incredibly discounted at the store right now. So tempted to go buy it! Reminds me of something Carmen Miranda would sport today.