Cuba is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations on the planet. Let's say it's thanks to the exuberance of its beaches and the beauty of its vegetation, without forgetting other products of the island such as rum and tobacco. That's the joke, and it's no joke at all. The reasons for traveling and sightseeing on this island are up to each person, and we don't get involved with that.
But Cuba has so much more to offer. Cuba is much more than a mulato dressed in rumba costume, or a mulata laughing. Much more than a middle-aged European couple renewing their vows in the middle of the sunset or some young people from the planet of material progress nervous about having the time of their lives. And, of course, more than a mansion destroyed like a Roman Parthenon. In Cuba, we make art, we design, we undertake, we’ve been recycling since the dawn of time, and we’re building our future. Of course, our differences with the rest of the world are visible: the continuous crises, our political and social system, and more. But we choose to look beyond. We are here to design, to work toward the future, and to act in our sector. We are here to move forward and share, with the world and with all those who visit us on the island, a different way of understanding the world. The Clandestina way. A million things are happening in Cuba, and we want to share them with the world. And that is precisely the reason of our collaboration with Wanderers Club.
With them, we are articulating spaces where visitors can understand and experience our differences. We are opening our work spaces, showing our processes and inviting our collaborators to help us show that other Cuba. It is a different type of tourism proposal, more focused on collaboration, exchange of experiences, and learning.
With Wanderers Club we are creating spaces for dialogue and channels of communication that promote exchange and understanding. Building bridges has always been one of Clandestina's value propositions, and we have been doing it for years, taking our commercial proposal to other latitudes. With Wanderers Club the challenge is new: it is to open our home and receive people from many parts of the world. It is a new experience for all of us, and we are very happy to face it.
Clandestina is the first sustainable fashion brand in Cuba. Founded by Idania del Río (Cuba) and Leire Fernández (Euskadi) in 2015, it has two physical stores in Old Havana and markets its products globally since 2017. In that year Clandestina exported its items to the US for the first time and started selling them through its website, clandestina.co, being the first Cuban brand to market products made in Cuba globally. In 2019, it began to market its products in physical stores in New York by the hand of its partners The Canvas, www.thecanvas.nyc.com. Recently, it has established a subsidiary, clandestinaglobal.com, to distribute its products in Euskadi and Europe. Its business model is based on the recovery of industrial waste for the design and creation of accessories and other garments. Clandestina exports products designed and manufactured in Cuba to Europe and the USA.
Wanderers Club, Inc. is both a travel agency and platform that offers bespoke, international trips. Founded in 2022 by sisters Tyler and Tegan Maxey, Wanderers Club connects travelers with immersive, educational, and adventurous travel experiences that are developed in collaboration with its global partners. Its business model focuses on generating net benefits for on the ground partners while fostering and sustaining a global community of travelers.