“I just launched the first Couture Prize in order to promote couture—and more couturiers—in Latin America,” said Busquets.
The avid couture collector is also selling off pieces from her treasured archive to fund her foundation with the proceeds, continue her legacy, and advance a circular economy.
“I’ve been working in fashion since I was 22, so [the collection includes designer pieces from] the ’80s, ’90s, and the 2000s,” said Busquets, name-checking the likes of John Galliano, Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana, Yves Saint Laurent, Alaïa, and Chanel as designers that have graced her closets. “It was always about getting the hard-to-get pieces.”
By rewearing her Balenciaga couture to the VIP Kering dinner, Busquets embodied her principles of couture craftsmanship and sustainable longwear and rewear. Plus, “the last time I wore it,” to a private birthday party, “I didn’t take a photo,” she said.
For the gown’s sophomore outing, Busquets opted for pared-down but still statement-making accessories: oversized blackened-gold hoops encrusted with glittering moval- and baguette-cut diamonds, designed by Nikos Koulis, and avant-garde knuckle-duster rings from Loree Rodkin. “I also love collecting jewelry,” added Busquets, who wore Balenciaga shoes as well.
Sofia Alvarez
The world traveler, who resides in Paris, London, and Switzerland, kept her glam session low-key with her trusted makeup artist Luis Guillermo Duque, whom she’s known for nearly 40 years. Instead of partaking in a Champagne-filled pregame party in a lavish hotel suite, they quietly went to work in the downtown Manhattan abode of her sports-media-executive boyfriend, John Skipper.
“I actually try to get ready with classical music or be in my own meditation bubble,” said Busquets, who’s followed the spiritual principles of George Gurdjieff since childhood. Besides, “when you are wearing couture, you have to be so careful with the dress. It’s not like when you go to a hotel.”
