Prominent Designer Jacqueline Fumero Passed Away in Havana

May 20, 2022

Jacqueline Fumero, a prominent fashion designer and Cuban businesswoman, passed away this Wednesday in Havana, victim of cancer at the age of 56.

Through a post on Facebook, the Cuban Association of Artisans and Artists stated that "our institutions, designers and all of us who enjoyed her versatile expressiveness unite in this farewell and extend our condolences to her family and friends."

Jacqueline Fumero was born in 1966 in the Cuban capital and, although she studied medicine by family tradition, she ultimately chose the path of fashion. Her beginnings in this world were self-taught, supported by the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets, and in 2003 she launched her first collection consisting of swimwear.

This first work featured her daughter as the main image and, according to a statement she made in an interview with the state agency Prensa Latina, "without her I am not myself; when she tells me that she likes it, I am already at peace."

During her professional career, she released several collections inspired by and focused on Cuban and Caribbean women. Fumero always considered herself a creator, more than a seamstress or artist.

Regarding Cuban women, Fumero stated to PL that "she has always been very distinguished, careful and serves as a model for the rest of the women in the world. For me the greatest compliment is that at foreign events, attendees know that I was born on this island."

She also stood out for her work as a businesswoman in Cuba, having directed for several years the Café del Ángel, a café-boutique located in the striking Plazuela del Ángel in Old Havana.

When news of her death became known, many followers, colleagues and friends left their messages of condolence on social media.

"Your contagious joy, your professionalism will be greatly missed. This afternoon at UNEAC, after learning the news of your passing, we were all dismayed. May our deepest condolences reach all of Jacqueline's family and friends. Rest in peace, friend," published journalist and editor María Polo Vega.

"A sad Wednesday ending with the passing of our dear friend and fashion designer Jacqueline Fumero. An empowered woman who turned her designs into contemporary Cuban art. Her Café in Plaza del Ángel marked an emblematic site in Havana. Light and love for your spirit, dear Jacqueline," wrote professor and researcher Julio César González Pagés on his social media profile.

For his part, user Héctor Santana Rodríguez also published an emotional message: "I am at peace because before you left I always made it clear to you how much you mean (because you will always be) to me, we spoke about this moment many times and I laughed and told you that you were crazy and I changed the subject. Today I realize that you always wanted to prepare me for your departure. From the first day you appeared in my life until today, everything you did for me was to be my guardian angel on earth."

Jacqueline Fumero always stood out on the runways of the Cuban designers event Arte y Moda, where she displayed her art alongside visual communicators, designers, photographers, fashion specialists and renowned plastic artists within and outside Cuba.

Furthermore, she brought her work to Fashion Week in Rome and Lyon, among other renowned spaces for fashion at the international level.