Muse — the uber cool and intimate West Village boutique and fine jewelry agency founded by Jennifer Shanker — has enlisted Venezuelan entrepreneur and philanthropist to curate an exclusive one-of-a-kind online trunk show that gives back. Shanker and Busquets developed a friendship when the entrepreneur became an ambassador for Muse’s Have a Heart program, a multidesigner, collaborative, charitable charm collection where each charm donates to causes that resonate with each ambassador, selling at Muse and other fine boutiques. Busquets is well known in fashion and tech circles — she was a cofounder and founding investor in and in 2012 established Cabus Venture, a dedicated investment vehicle to finance entrepreneurs within luxury and fashion.
But she has also carved out a legacy in philanthropy. “Carmen loves to do anything where you can merge fashion and philanthropy. She is an amazingly collaborative, supportive, generous and wonderful human,” Shanker said of her good friend, calling her a “mentor” at times for the Muse founder.
The trunk show features a mix of designers found at the New York boutique: Mark Davis, Beck, Marie-Hélène de Taillac and Silvia Furmanovich. Ten percent of the sale of each piece will be donated to , an organization whose mission is to address the root causes and consequences of violence and poverty through education and health programs that empower youth and communities, and strengthen public systems. “We have selected some incredible pieces for this trunk show so it is hard to choose a favorite,” Busquets said of her curation.
“But if I had to pick the ones that stand out for me the most, it would have to be Mark Davis’ one-of-a-kind bracelets made from vintage Bakelite, gemstones, diamonds, and gold and Silvia Furmanovich’s colorful and meticulously crafted marquetry earrings and bracelets, some of which feature hand-painted miniature drawings.” And who better to model the pieces but Carmen herself? Shanker invited her friend to wear her own wardrobe and style the mix of jewelry, all in service of telling the story of the trunk show that “has a heart,” precisely the kind of storytelling that resonates with both Shanker and Busquets. The trunk show goes live Thursday on musexmuse.
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