Mexican artist Rafael Amaya was among the guests at the quinceañera of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Emma Coronel's twin daughters, an intriguing real-life encounter for the Mexican actor who is preparing to portray the imprisoned drug lord in a new television series produced with Coronel.
The confirmation of Amaya's presence in the private celebration for Emali Guadalupe and María Joaquina Guzmán Coronel birthday came from an unexpected source: the woman responsible for the quinceañeras' dresses.
Designer April Black Diamond posted a photograph of herself with the El Señor de los Cielos star from the celebration, adding the hashtags #xvparty and #emmacoroneltwins. Amaya, dressed in a black shirt and dark pants, posed with the designer in front of the same decorative lattice wall visible in other photographs from the event.
Black Diamond also designed the elaborate dresses worn by Coronel's daughters and shared images and video of the custom pieces on social media.
The designer described the creations as an "extraordinary celebration" of couture, crystal embellishments and intricate detailing that created "pure luxury."
The twins did not wear matching dresses.
Both designs were short, strapless and heavily embellished, but each had its own silhouette. One featured a crystal-covered bodice paired with a voluminous white skirt constructed from layers of tulle, creating an almost ballerina-like effect.
The other was more fitted, with a crystal-covered bodice and a narrow skirt decorated with cascading pearls, white bows and three-dimensional floral appliqués. The looks included pearl necklaces and sparkling shoes. The custom designs also incorporated crystals, fine embellishments, tulle and pearls.
The exact cost of the dresses has not been disclosed.
Some Mexican reports have estimated their value based on prices associated with other April Black Diamond custom designs, which can reportedly reach $2,500 or more, but there is no verified price for the twins' dresses themselves. El Diario noted that the actual price of the pieces remains unknown.
The designer's relationship with Coronel predates the quinceañera. Black Diamond was behind Coronel's controversial appearance at Milan Fashion Week in 2024 and more recently invited her to BelicoFest in Los Angeles, where Coronel appeared onstage in July.
What We Know About the Private Quinceañera
Despite the attention surrounding their parents, Coronel has generally kept her daughters' lives private, and the quinceañera followed the same pattern.
Mexican media described the celebration as highly private, with relatively few details initially reaching the public. The event was organized by Fiestas Xtreme, according to Criterio Hidalgo. Coronel publicly thanked the company for the setup.
Images from the celebration showed a long wooden table surrounded by an elaborate arrangement of white flowers, including roses and peonies. Crystal glassware, gold-toned flatware, champagne-colored napkins and candles completed the tablescape.
Amaya's presence becomes considerably more noteworthy because he is no ordinary family guest. Six months before the quinceañera, Coronel and Amaya announced that they were working together on a bilingual television series about El Chapo.
Amaya will portray Guzmán and serve as an executive producer through Amaya Productions. Coronel is also an executive producer, alongside producer Maritza Ramos and Zero Gravity Management.
The still-untitled project is expected to tell the story from Coronel's perspective and take place in both Mexico and the United States.
As El País reported when the project was announced in February, Coronel said Guzmán himself had been a fan of Amaya's most famous performance.
"A mi esposo le gustó el trabajo de Rafael en El Señor de los Cielos, y sé que estaría complacido de verlo interpretarlo en este proyecto," Coronel said.
Amaya spent years playing Aurelio Casillas in Telemundo's El Señor de los Cielos, a fictional drug lord inspired by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the former leader of the Juárez Cartel known as "El Señor de los Cielos."
Now Amaya is preparing to move from a fictionalized narco figure to one of the most recognizable drug traffickers in modern history.
Coronel will not play herself in the series, but she is expected to participate in casting and help shape a story being told from her perspective. El Financiero reported that the production was still searching for a writer when the project was unveiled.
