The Interview

June 10, 2024

Carmen Busquets: “My Mother Walks In… Like A Lioness”

The world needs more leading ladies like this.

Artwork by Neighbour Design

WHEN journalists interview people of importance in the fashion world they often fleetingly ask, “what was your inspiration?” -. In the interest of leaving the ice rink of surface questions, we are dedicating a special space for the world’s most brilliant people to pen an ode, of sorts, to their mothers. A crucial crucible for one’s character can be the relationship between mother and child. When you really make an effort to get to know someone on a deep level, you discover their roots and that can be the beginning of unlocking the fabric of their being. And so, inspired by Lord Byron’s poem She Walks in Beauty (one of his works that dwells on a woman’s inner and outer beauty), we invited none other than the entrepreneur and philanthropist, Carmen Busquets, to be the first to tell D1st about her mother who Walks In… “Like A Lioness”.

After all, Carmen herself has forged an empire of business and kindness (a co-founding investor in Net-a-Porter/Cult Beauty/FarFetch/Lyst/BoF, and, recently, The Floorr) in a world that needs more leading ladies like herself. (Read more about Carmen Busquets here).

Look 31/49, Thom Browne Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 42/49, Thom Browne Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 4/62, Dior Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 48/62, Dior Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Dior Haute Couture

Look 28/31, Schiaparelli Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Schiaparelli Haute Couture

Look 30/31, Schiaparelli Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Schiaparelli Haute Couture

Look 33/47, Zuhair Murad Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 11/33, Jean Paul Gaultier Couture by Courrèges’ Nicolas Di Felice Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier Couture

Look 17/33, Jean Paul Gaultier Couture by Courrèges’ Nicolas Di Felice Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier Couture

Look 29/33, Jean Paul Gaultier Couture by Courrèges’ Nicolas Di Felice Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier Couture

Look 10/29, Ashi Studio Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 14/29, Ashi Studio Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 3/32, Stéphane Rolland Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 22/32, Stéphane Rolland Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 20/35, Giambattista Valli Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 32/35, Giambattista Valli Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 39/46, Chanel Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Chanel

Look 43/46, Chanel Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 26/42, Alexis Mabille Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 46/90, Armani/Privé Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 69/90, Armani/Privé Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 89/90, Armani/Privé Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 22/65, Elie Saab Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. Shutterstock

Look 28/39, Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Balenciaga

Courtesy of Carmen Busquets

#1 Describe the first moment when you realized that your mother was a very special and stylish woman.

There was not a specific moment. When I was little, wherever we went, people would turn around to look at her admiringly so I realized early on that there was something special about her that made her stand out.

#2 What is her signature fragrance that captures her essence?

Guerlain L’ Heure Bleue.

‍#3 Which room of your family home was she most herself in and why?

The library. My mother was an anthropologist and sociologist so she was always reading. She took a rapid reading course and was able to read up to twenty books per week, that is how curious she was!

Courtesy of Carmen Busquets

#4 Which garment in her wardrobe or piece in her jewelry box did you most covet as a young child? Tell us about it and why you adored it/them so much.

She had a lot of pieces I coveted but I was particularly fascinated by a gold Lalaounis necklace and bracelet that she owned; so much so that she later gifted them to me.

#5 Describe a typical outfit she would wear when collecting you from school or for a social outing.

She often wore high waisted jeans with tailored men’s shirts buttoned low enough to gracefully reveal a hint of her lingerie. Very chic.

#6 What is the most vital advice or lesson you have learned from your mother?

That the most precious possession you can have, which no one can steal from you, is freedom of thought.

Courtesy of Carmen Busquets

#7 How has your relationship with your mother shaped the way you are as a person or as a professional?

Growing up my mother was my best friend and my number one fan, but she was also extremely strict and disciplinary. She had an aversion to laziness, untidiness and accepting second best. If she ever found my closet to be remotely messy, she would take everything out and make me reorganize it to perfection. She would also refuse to take me out if I was not showered or dressed for the occasion. My mother never saw herself as being a victim and she was just as strict with herself as she was with me. This has shaped the way I am with other women and why I admire strong women with a survival instinct.

#8 Think of your mother in her prime (which could be now or in the past). With that in mind, how do you complete this sentence: My mother walks in…

Like a lioness, with her head held high. And when she enters the room, everyone turns around to take note of her.

Related Reading: Carmen Busquets Take Ten Qs