The “metavelso” to get out of the crisis: the commitment of two entrepreneurs in Cuba

The “Metavelso”, where “anywhere is worse than this”is the name of the new collection of a Cuban urban clothing brand led by two entrepreneurs who propose with their garments a detachment, with sarcasm and escapism, from the difficult social and economic reality of the country.

The line of the Clandestina brand, which plays with the Cuban pronunciation of the promise of a virtual future of the metaverse, combines its allusions to the deep crisis of the country with technological flirtations with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) embedded in clothing and cryptographic or digital art.

What is the ‘metavelso’? “It is that alternative world that you create for yourself to be able to move forward in a Cuba going through a very difficult time,” explains the Spanish entrepreneur Leire Fernández, who founded the brand with the Cuban Idania del Río in 2015, in an interview with EFE.

The fusion of reality and virtual future that this collection champions will reach its climax this Saturday, when NFTs will be linked to chips sewn into 40 garments during the collection’s presentation event in Havana.

The sale of the collection is expected to start in December in New York (USA) and also through the online store Clandestina, the entrepreneurs indicated.

“Tropical Buddhism”

Since its creation, Clandestina has reflected on pullovers, bags and other accessories -sometimes arousing controversy- the Cuba of “solving”as Fernández and Del Río explain, that country where people manage to get hold of the basic things that are always in short supply on a daily basis.

The shortage of basic products, from food to fuel and medicines, has become a normality for two years now in Cuba, which has caused long queues, a thriving informal market and an inflationary spiral.

“We are in a moment with a lot of pressure and we have to create those mental spaces where we can feel good,” said Fernández of the Clandestina printing laboratory in the heart of central Havana.

The Spanish businessman adds that “in Cuba there are masters of tropical Buddhism, pushing forward, have a lot of problems and let them slip away.

“But without romanticizing the shortcomings,” says Del Río alongside her.

Other previous collections of this same clothing brand, such as ‘Country Under Construction’ (2018), ‘Glorias Deportivas’ (2019) and ‘Global Warming’ (2021), follow the same philosophy of ‘tropical Buddhism’, they say.

Company in crisis

The launch of this collection was a challenge for the founders of Clandestina in a context of serious crisis marked not only by scarcity, but also by frequent blackouts and an unprecedented migratory exodus.

“This year has been very difficult for everyone, especially for women entrepreneurs,” acknowledges Fernández. He points out, however, that it was also a time to “come together” and encourage “sisterhood” among all.

Del Río, who is the creative director of the company, points out that it is also important to “break gender barriers and feel that we are in a space where it matters, but just enough”.

EFE agency

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