Mumbai has the best models: Cuba Junior

He parties with Heidi Klum. Kate Moss always invites him to her “sinful” parties. Yet Cuba Junior says that he is a better model coordinator than a model.

At the age of 16, Cuba has walked on ramps across Europe and the United States, walking for renowned names like Jean Paul Gautier, Vivienne Westwood, Hugo Boss, Diesel and Adidas among others.

“My modleling days were perhaps the best I had. It actually made me the person that I am and of course I made all my friends there. That was the start of my career,” says Cuba who has taken up a place in Mumbai to set up his agency for which he has partnered with Basab Paul, owner of Vie Lounge (remember the Jessica Simpson party?).

A passion for professional photography took over too. “I started working for fashion houses and started shooting catalogues for them,” he says, revealing that the names were no less than La Perla, Hugo Boss, Couture Paris and Adidas Collezione.

But why Mumbai? “I guess Mumbai has the best models in the sub-continent. I have come here to take models to the international stage. The designers have all gone truly international, but only a handful of Indian models have made the cut in Paris. I want to take more Indian models on the ramps of Paris.”

Then, is this merely a business proposition? “I don’t plan to earn money out of them. I will never charge a single penny from the models. I will only make money if my models make it abroad. But I am willing to take the risk,” he adds.

Interestingly, Cuba’s headquarters are in Iceland, where he will return after opening shop in Mumbai.