I invite you to take a closer look at Bokeh Accesorios y Moda, a Cuban brand of accessories based on upcycling upcycling. Come with me!

By María Carla Figdomech / Translated by Samai Páez

Diana, Marilyn, Amelie, Tina... No, they are not the names of customers (although they could), but designs in a catalogue. And I don't know for sure (as my grandmother said, the student at the Escuela del Hogar, in Havana in 1950), if those choices are due to those who believe. In any case, they have been an inspiration for Khadis de La Rosa by creating pieces with grace, style, versatility and colour. As in art and fashion space to the subjective is a creative act, I choose to belive that they are her friends, the imaginary friends of a visual artist, become a doer of joys in the midst of a pandemic.

The background and the concept

Khadis de La Rosa was born from the Island to the center country, as the poet would say. In Ciego de Ávila, a province in north-central Cuba, the pattern of other stories about tenderness was reissued: the dressmaker grandmother educated the girl; together they built magnificent episodes while the granddaughter developed manual skills that, much later, would open unsuspected doors for her, personally and professionally.

unsuspected doors for her, personally and professionally. Photographer, graduate of Visual Arts and professor at the universidad de las Artes, in full professional growth, she is surprised by a COVID-19 pandemic, a mutation of a virus about which little was known except its high contagiousness. The situation of confinement, her own economic limitations and those of people close to her prompted her to become entrepreneurial. The niche revealed itself to him. During 2020 and 2021, cloth masks were an efficient, economical, fun and reusable alternative in Cuba. De la Rosa Scrunchies was the background for Bokeh, a local brand of accessories and fashion inspired by upcycling and personalization.

"In the midst of the difficulties and moments of existential crisis that the pandemic brought, people found joy, support for their self-esteem and inner happiness in simple gestures such as decorating their hair or wearing masks. They wanted to look beautiful, in search of something to brighten up the day to day and feel good about the environment, not the most desired then."

The Immediate Step of Improvement

The process is often a step by step with dizzying tints. By July 2021, the popularity of the proposal was certain among people of various ages. And, if it was exciting to create a piece from scratch, as vocation and artistic training demand, Khadis discovered the unparalleled pleasure of seeing clients contribute ideas that nurture their imagination and challenge their ingenuity to make hair ornaments. It was the perfect time to take the next step forward. What began as just an extra source of income took shape and asked to grow.

From the Rose Scrunchies it derived in Bokeh, from the hand of specialists and with the support of those unconditional people. “Two heads think more than one, that's very true. Sometimes you need collaboration to find solutions, a plan B, with the willpower to continue.”

Why Bokeh? "You may be wondering now, like I used to." It turns out that it is the name of a photographic technique which I enjoyed using. It consists of blurring the background to emphasize attention in a specific area of the image. In Bokeh Accesorios y Moda the "objective" is focused on the beauty of the person, that others are enraptured with their natural appeal expressed in a complement of good workmanship. Oh, and the cherry of the logo recalls, as in pastry, the sweet "finishing touch" of a well-worn outfit. "The brand is a hybrid between my origins as a photographer and the intention with which I want entrepreneurship to always be seen," concludes the founder.

With the accessories at the heart of its proposal, the look goes towards fashion as a space of sustainable creation, in which every garment can find new life transformed into headbands, scrunchies, buckles, ribbons and unique visors.

"That makes these designs interesting as pieces of art in a small format," concludes the artist. Patterns are created, there are measurements, but each piece is somehow unique from the moment of the assignment, because the person orders exactly the one they like, mixing shape and color, plus the manufacturing process."

Three years have passed since the rebranding process. Since May 19, 2021, the response of the public has been stimulating. Among its community, the brand is identified as “youthful, fresh, colorful and, at the same time, simple.” Bokeh advances into the future with a will to do, to please those who know it and those who are about to arrive. To Khadis, may good vibes always light the way.