Story designs that blend European sophistication with Caribbean vibrancy, Laffita has dressed celebrities and high-profil clients, including Ivanka Trump.
His journey from the streets of Havana to the ateliers of Milan and ultimately to the Czech Republic is a testament to his relentless ambition and visionary artistry. In this article, we explore Laffita’s rise to fashion prominence, his signature aesthetic, and how his multicultural influences continue to shape his haute couture creations.
DIPLOMATIC HERALD – From Havana to Prague, your journey was truly extraordinary. Was there a moment that defined your journey as a designer that cemented your passion for fashion?
OSMANY LAFFITA – Well, don’t forget that in 1987, Czechoslovakia and Cuba were still friends within a communist setting so really, I was not the only Cuban to have the chance to come to Prague to study. The studying did not really last long for me. I was kicked out of school…. As a result of that, I was incorporated in the group of Cubans which did labor here. I was sent all over. Nobody wanted me. To Mitas as a painter to paint outside the fence. To Barum Rudy Rijen, today Continental, to make tires for cars. To Svit to make shoes. Everywhere. Nobody wanted me. Following 1989 I worked for a modeling agency. That was more like it. But really, I did not start in fashion until about 1995 when I was recruited by Versave. A couple of years later, I moved on to Kenzo. The big change came in 1999 when I was asked to be the creative director of a new Czech house called Taiza and then finally, I took launched my own brand in 2003.
DH – Besides the glitz and glamour, what is the most rewarding aspect of being a fashion designer for you?
OL -The applause and glitter are just the fringe benefits of course. If that is the objective, then you probably will not get very far. The objective is to dress customers in such a way that you can be proud of your work and that you customers are happy with the expensive dream they bought from you. So really the objective is the satisfaction of your customers.
DH – The world of fashion is constantly evolving. What current trends or movements in design excite you the most and how do you see them shaping the future of fashion?
OL – Again, yes and no. Really, in fashion, there is nothing new under the sun since Yves Saint Laurent made the tuxedo for women. Yes, there are incredible gowns and designs, but they are all reworked ideas of previous periods and cultures. If you look closely, us designers that work couture are now as rare as dinosaurs. Now fashion has to be black, cheap, and without any form. They call that minimalistic, I call it trash. Fashion is no longer the beauty to dress typical and atypical body morphs but the instant gratification of the designer, not for his expertise in sewing but because he shows a butt here, a breast there. They are aberrations not fashion.
DH – Cuban culture pulsates with colour and rhythm. How does your heritage clash with Central European minimalism in your designs?
OL – I am anything but minimalist. I like minimalistic fashion, but not for me. I must be the reincarnation of Louis XIV 🙂 Nice and exuberant… but not carnivalesque. There is a clear difference. Yes, of course, Cuba, my Latino culture, and also Havana during the opulent 30’s when, because of the prohibition in the USA, the nomenclature came to party in my beloved city. All of this can be seen in my signature.
DH – From running the first Versace boutique in Prague to fighting over your own brand name in court, what has fashion taught you about the intersection of art and survival?
OL – Really, one cannot leave out the word business. It is fashion business. This of course comes with all the usual business parts. Accounting, planning, profitability, and yes, court cases. It is not about the beautiful little blak cocktail dress which you make but about the viability of the projects. You know, in the 25 years I am on the market I have seen many colleagues come and go. Many were hailed as the new Jesus Christ of fashion, but unfortunately they did not understand that the important factor was not to be listed in the fashion magazines but to have a positive balance sheet. We are not making pieces of art the be hung in a museum. Fashion is a business.
DH – You have dressed countless celebrities and personalities, including Ivanka Trump. How did this happen and do celebrities require a different approach when working with them?
OS – Yes, I dress famous people and people like you and me. I make no difference. I do differ; however, in the fact that I dress you and you get an invoice. No matter who you are. I have never lend celebrities dresses for free. No body does anything for free, neither do I. So, no, celebrities are no different than any of my cherished customers.
