FIDEL CASTRO: a fashion legacy
You may not belive it but in 1984 Fidel Castro was named one of the best dressed people in the world by People Magazine. (oh! What a year). And even today we can see why.
Castros olive green military uniform became a symbol for around the globe dictators and some other young latin-americans whom showed up their communist idology support with military clothes. Practically, Castro was imitated around the globe.
Accessories, maybe not the first thing you associate with Castro but he certainly was the main revolutionary of male accesories: classic beard, cigar and glasses. This elements were even imitated by Woody Allen in Bananas. #NiceTry. The legend is still there, when the ex-dicatator death was announced, cuban americans in Little Havana celebrated rising a skull with a cigar in its mouth.
As the century grew old, Castro’s health worsened on and as the millenium took its place and the Backstreet Boys traveled the world in tracksuits making girls wet, Fidel Castro’s sense of style was reborn. As it happens to all icons opinions were diverse but nobody were indifferent to such decision: Castro iconic military clothes were replaced by comfy and colorful gym pants.
Adidas and Fila became the ex-mandatory fashion priorities as the statment of a new era of fashion politics: the military uniform was replaced by global brands and symbols of capitalism. Even through fashion and the capitalist symbolic system Castro tried to make nacionalist statments with his sporty clothes. Not only his trackers were always of the colors of Cuba flag (blue, white and red), also he chose Adidas because it was the brand doing the uniforms of the cuban olympics team.
Who did it first? Chad Tenenbaum (2001) or Fidel Castro?
2014 was a good year for diplomacy: Obama’s administration wanted to rebuild the relation with Cuba after 50 years of embargo.
Two years later, Chanel spring/summer 16 show was runned on La Habana making references to 1958 cuban revolution. And Vogue UK december 16 issue is about beauty standars revolution with the plus size model Ashley Graham dressed like Fidel Castro. Can some one deny the relation between politics and fashion?
Castro showed that he was a fashion icon by itself when he reunited with some world leaders on tracksuit. Who can say that? Take that Pope Francis!
His influence is notable on Nicolas Maduro, now one of the major exponents of sporty communism trend. Can you think in a better way for Maduro to show the fucks he gives for protocol imperialist events than wearing a tricolor nacionalist tracksuit?
