Sautter and Sautter?

Sautter Cigars is no advertising agency.

Cigars is what we know. And cigars is what we do.

But when you’re in the cigar business, you get to know an awful lot of people in an awful lot of professions. From movie stars to mechanics, Barristers to baristas, we have the lot as customers. And so, when we need to call upon specific skill sets, we know some of the world’s very best.

While on a mission to bring you all the flavour of the Habanos Festival this week, we’ve used the downtime in between shooting new and unrivalled video footage for our online cigar channels and writing the most inventive, investigative and in-depth behind-the-scenes cigar blogs you’ll find anywhere, we‘ve also been using the stunning backdrop of Cuba to create photography that’ll make your jaw drop.

Internationally-renowned photographer Pep Williams has been on board the Sautter fun bus and in a sultry Havana city centre location yesterday, shot some dramatic and iconic cigar art.

Using homegrown talent in the form of a couple of beautiful Cuban models, a make-up artist, creative director and the uncanny skills of Pep behind the camera, locations, fashions, bit-part characters and a stunning afternoon came together to create a stable of images we believe are worthy of international exhibition.

One location was a cracked, crumbling, regal mansion along one of the broad boulevards which are so redolent of this grand old dame of a city.

If you bought the place, you’d be mad to change much; shore up the sagging bits, update the infrastructure. But it’s so damned cool, you’d be mad to mess with it.

A grand, porticoed entrance, a sweeping staircase and bedrooms of subtle light and shifting shade; high ceilings, wooden rocking chairs of a glowing, aged patina; shuttered windows thrown open to the seep of Havana soundtrack and a sough of sea breeze.

This is the Havana that comes to you in shifting dreams. The old, the young, the light, the dark. There’s promise, there’s subtle menace and an overarching feeling of hope, elegance artistry and grace.

We won’t spoil your surprise by revealing these images – just yet. But be warned; you’ll want one when you see them. Once whittled down, edited, discussed and selected, the very best of Pep’s shots will be available to buy from Sautter in an extremely limited print run.

And in the meantime, we’re onto our next mission. Watch this space.