ALINA SIMMELBAUER for ROTHOLZ in HAVANA

Photographer: ALINA SIMMELBAUER, Client: ROTHOLZ, Location: HAVANA, Models: 

In the winter of 2024/25, Alina traveled to Cuba to visit her family, bringing her camera and a selection of pieces from @rotholz_official with her. The result is a personal photo series, created in collaboration with Rotholz - a collection of imagery available for Rotholz to use as part of their visual storytelling. Portraits of people she met along the way, captured in their everyday surroundings wearing Rotholz. Unstaged, quiet, and woven naturally into the rhythm of the city.

MICHEL, a taxi driver, accompanied Alina throughout her journey in Havana. She photographed him at Parque Antonio Maceo Square, set against the backdrop of the famous Malecón in the city’s vibrant center.

YAUMELIS works as a waitress at Café Arcangel, one of Old Havana’s most charming cafés. Alina captured her in the warm, intimate atmosphere of the café.

ANA MIGDALIA, a retired ballerina of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, met Alina in the Parque de la Fraternidad Americana in Old Havana. There, she posed for a portrait that reflects both grace and history.

CARLOS MIGUEL, a solar panel salesman, welcomed Alina into his apartment in Havana’s La Víbora neighborhood, where she photographed him in his personal surroundings.

SONJA, a scientist and colleague of Alina’s sister, was photographed in the Nuevo Vedado neighborhood, near the research institute where she works.

YAN CARLOS, a computer science student, met Alina in Marianao, a neighborhood in Havana, where she photographed him in the streets of his community.In Marianao, Alina also met Yan Carlos’s younger sister, MARIAN, who is still in high school. She photographed the siblings together, capturing their bond in a shared portrait.