By Paula Rath
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| As other Cntemporary Museum supporters look over gowns, designer Carmen Marc Valvo, right, helps Elizabeth Lacey of Kahala, second from right, find the perfect dress for a Contemporary Museum fund-raiser.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Carmen Marc Valvo
Job: New York fashion designer
Education: Parsons School of
Design; fine arts degree from Manhattanville College
Designed for: Christian Dior and Nina Ricci
Started his own label: 1989
Detour: His father, a New York anesthesiologist, wanted him to use his artistic talents to become a plastic surgeon. He followed his passion instead.
His customers: Baby boomers who are strong yet sensual, bold and beautiful, feminine without fuss. From Hollywood celebrities to Hawai‘i socialites. |
For those who complain that Hawai‘i is behind the times fashion-wise, now hear this: We saw designer Carmen Marc Valvo’s new couture line, and his popular evening wear collection, before the Hollywood stylists who will dress the stars for the Oscars.
Last week, a group of Island women, supporters of The Contemporary Museum, sat down to breakfast at Mariposa at Neiman Marcus to oooh and aaah over the fashions that are today being shown to stars and stylists in Los Angeles.
Hollywood helped put Valvo’s evening wear on the must-have map. Actress Vanessa Williams is a devotee and even wore the New York designer’s gowns through her pregnancies. She was nine months pregnant and 37 pounds heavier than her usual svelte self when she attended the Oscars last year in a black matte jersey Valvo with a bodice cut down-to-here. The celebrity press loved how she looked. She also wore a Valvo to the premiere of her latest film, "Dance with Me."
Pauletta Washington, actor Denzel’s wife, wore a gold Valvo gown to the Oscars last year and was immediately catapulted onto the Best Dressed list.
But Valvo doesn’t design with celebrities in mind. It’s today’s baby boomer women who are his muses. "I design for my female counterpart. She’s fit and works out and takes care of herself. At 48, I’m the tail end of the boomers. But I find I’m so much younger than my mother was at my age," he said.
How does he create designs to be boomer-friendly? After 11 years with his own line, prefaced by several years of classical fashion training in the houses of Christian Dior and Nina Ricci, Valvo has learned a thing or two about the female form and how it changes with age.
When grading (sizing) a garment in a size 12 or above, he adds a little, proportionally, to the waistline, for example. He has also learned to allow for bigger busts as breast augmentation has become increasingly popular.
"Many of my customers are going through menopause and their bodies are changing and they’re freaking out," Valvo said. They might still be a size 8 but their waist is larger. I tell them not to freak out; it will all stabilize. In the meantime, wear a sexy top with a jacket over it. Or a bias-cut gown which gives the illusion of a defined waist and hip."
One mistake Valvo hates to see women make: dressing by committee.
"Don’t ask so many opinions that you get confused. Trust your own instincts."
Arms and legs
Many women are concerned about their upper arms and wouldn’t dream of baring them. Valvo said, with feeling, "Only you perceive it as being a problem. The little wiggle - it happens. So what? It’s good to have a little fat on you. However, if the wind blows and the arm shakes, you might want to cover it."
His belief is that cover should be for comfort (like overly air-conditioned rooms) and not for camouflage.
In response to the perennial question "Do I dress too young?" Valvo said emphatically, "You can never dress too young. Your personality determines how you dress, not your age. If you keep yourself fit and trim, you can wear anything. Charlotte Kramer of Saks, who has worked in the fashion world forever, is now 95 and wears mini skirts because she has great legs. She wears them with opaque hose now, but she still wears them."
Advice for prom
Valvo said many prom-goers today are influenced by MTV and music videos.
"From cutesy to sexy, the girls will perpetuate what they’ve seen women in the music world wearing."
He advises young women to wear long gowns to prom because it’s usually their first foray into special occasion attire. It also sends a message to parents: "Hey, your little girl is a woman now."
Valvo predicts that proms this year won’t be a sea of black. "There’s a lot of color" in evening wear, he said.
On Valvo’s runway at Neiman Marcus was an abundance of bright color: salmon, chartreuse, aqua, celadon and rose. Also a little Jennifer Lopez Latin flair in form-fitting, yet flattering bias cut gowns.
Not surprising, then, that the women rushed from the breakfast to the second floor to try on Valvo’s wearable evening wear for that special night out in Honolulu.
Valvo’s line is moderately priced for designer wear, from a low of $250 for a beaded top to as much as $1,300 for a gown. His couture collection, just introduced at Neiman Marcus, ranges from $1,800 to $3,200.
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