The colonial building that currently houses Havana’s famous fashion house La Maison, was built in 1946 by the architect Manuel Gamba Alvares de la Campa as the residence of a wealthy family. After the triumph it was abandoned by its owners for a while. Then it was used as a student residence. On April 15, 1982, it was inaugurated as a fashion house with a wide range of services. It was renovated twice, in 1984 and 1996.
La Maison, built in the style of a Florentine palace, has two floors. The complex has different spaces such as six air-conditioned rooms, foyer, piano bar, cafeteria, swimming pool, a temperature-regulated jacuzzi, terraces, and even a library. The air-conditioned rooms, decorated with paintings by renowned Cuban painters, porcelains, Baccarat crystals and classic furniture, are used in different events. The great hall, with its wooden ceilings and frescos, is the perfect setting for elegant cocktails and receptions. The large patio has a conventional catwalk to promote fashion shows and evening entertainment with live music and cabaret shows. It has also boutique stores where clothing, accessories and jewelry are sold. One can say that La Maison is a clothes store during the day, but in selected evenings it is the venue of regular shows that are held in the charming patio under the trees, presenting the cloths of top Cuban fashion designers between interesting interactive shows. La Mansion is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Since you are going here to have fun, it would be out of place to make a recommendation in terms of food. It will be the same quality as served in any regular restaurant in Havana. Even so, it would be more feasible to go there after dinner (show begins at 22:00) to enjoy the show, the latest fashion designs and the models while suping the cocktails that the friendly staff would bring.
After midnight the performance on the catwalk finishes, but you can go on with the Piano Bar on the first floor. The Piano Bar is accessed from a separate door on the Avenida 31. The concerts of local artists here are usually good.
La Maison hosts two events every year, the Fashion Week in Cuba and the Art and Fashion.
