Edel Rodriguez sent email yesterday about creating drawings for Chanel News on the occasion of the house’s first runway show in Havana, Cuba, so I sent back a few questions. Here is what he wrote:

Q: Your drawings are alive with the theme, “Viva Coco Libre”! Could this be one of your most enjoyable assignments in recent months?

A: Thanks, it was great project to be involved with. I’ve done a lot of Cuba drawings on my own that have been republished, but this is the first time a specific assignment like this has come through.

Q: How smart of Lagerfeld to take advantage of the month of French culture in Cuba to present his new resort collection. When did you get the call to do the drawings for Chanel News and where did you do the work?

A: The people at Chanel called me just a few days before the show and wanted me to be there but we couldn't work out a trip to Cuba in that timeframe. They ended up forwarding me images and raw video as the preparations went on that afternoon and throughout the show. I’ve been on the Paseo del Prado many times and had drawn and taken photographs there so I was able to tap into some of my own images as well. No idea how they worked out all the logistics of all of this but happy with how it all worked out.

Q: Is this the start of a new practice in fashion illustration for you? Have you lined up some more assignments?

A: Chanel hired me based on my Cuba sketchbook drawings, which they had seen online, so I went into the assignment with that in mind, not necessarily fashion illustration. I was moved by the colors and theme of the collection and wanted that to come through, but they wanted to get a sense of the place as well.  I’d love to do more fashion illustration work, I’ve always been inspired by it. My mother was a seamstress in Cuba and Miami so I grew up surrounded by fashion most of my life in one way or another. It shows up in my paintings and illustrations often, especially when I work on opera posters.

Q: What was the best thing about this assignment?

A: My favorite part was that Chanel trusted me. There were no sketches or approvals to go through; I just went directly into final color drawings. I sent them to Chanel and they published them right away, without the usual back and forth and changes that many assignments require. They were wonderful to work with and very happy with the result.

Q: The music that can be heard on the video was incredible—are Cuban musicians having better access to gigs beyond Cuba’s shores with the relaxation of the embargo?

A: I was on an assignment in Cuba for Billboard magazine last year and got to know many musicians in Havana. They’re very happy about the changes that are happening. They have new five year visas to enter the United States so they can now travel easily in and out of Cuba. I get to meet up with them in NYC often at some of the clubs that host them here. The same is happening with visual artists, it's all become very dynamic and fun to watch. It’s great to see talented people finally have the opportunity to spread their wings and share their talent with the world.

Q: How often have you visited Cuba in the past few years? Are you developing more projects in your homeland?

A: I’ve been back three times in the last few years, on assignments, to visit family, and for an exhibit of my work in Havana. I have a lot of friends in the design field and we’re talking about upcoming shows and projects. Pratt Institute, where I went to college, and now teach, has started a partnership with one of the design schools in Havana. I’d like to become more involved in that program and spend time teaching students in Havana in the future if that’s possible. I’d like to set up a studio in my hometown as well, and go back more often as things change and move forward.

Q: What do you have lined up for the summer?

A: I’m working on illustrating a new book about the life of Jimi Hendrix for Roaring Brook Press, and developing an illustrated memoir about my childhood in Cuba. More