Hand-rolled cigars at Tabacos Arturo
No detail spared
At Tabacos Arturo in Tenerife, hand-rolled cigars represent tradition and craftsmanship.
We recently spent a few days in Tenerife to shoot our spring summer 2026 campaign.
The SS26 collection is inspired by getting away, talking with new people, and bringing back stories. The island of Tenerife, a topographic marvel shaped by the forces of Atlantic trade and – more recently – packaged tourism, seemed like the ideal spot to strike up a few back-and-forths with locals.
Halfway through the shoot we met one of these locals. Arturo has been hand rolling cigars for over 40 years. His shop, Tabacos Arturo, is located in Garachico, a small town on the island’s northern coast. After a conversation with our model, Alberto – who happens to be fluent in Spanish and four other languages – Arturo kindly agreed to let us shoot in his shop.
Alberto was dressed in a double-breasted cotton suit, the fabric sourced from Italy’s Solbiati mill. Renowned for its use of hard-working, natural fibres, Solbiati felt like the perfect thing to wear while Arturo demonstrated how he rolls.
After all, any occasion worthy of a cigar is worthy of a great outfit.
Rolling
Arturo sources his tobacco leaves from Cuba and the neighbouring island of La Palma. He stores them in plastic bags for 24 hours to give them a smooth texture, then begins to roll them by hand.
Forming
The tougher, external leaves of the tobacco plant form the outer layer of the cigar, while the inside is filled with softer leaves from the belly of the plant. After forming the cigar, he seals it with a natural gum.
Cutting + pressing
Arturo cuts one end to form the head of the cigar, which he then presses into a mold to give it a smooth shape. After they’ve been pressed, he wraps them in a final layer of tobacco leaf.
After placing the cigar in the press, Arturo reached for one he’d made earlier. He cut the end, lit up, and blew a few clouds as Alberto looked on. This was all for the camera, as he no longer smokes.
