BOULEVARD OF DREAMS

After the revolution, various forms of repression made it impossible for Cubans to stand out, and that extended to fashion. Today, a Friday night visit to Havana’s Malecón—the esplanade that runs along the city’s coast—means seeing Cubans “dressed in everything imaginable,” says Kahn, who was struck by the idiosyncrasy of local style. “Americans don’t realize how much we’re advertised to,” he says. “Millions of dollars are invested in dictating how we look.” In Cuba, “the only billboards they have are for Communist propaganda.”