Carmen Marc Valvo

NEW YORK, February 9, 2007
By Meenal Mistry
Carmen Marc Valvo is best known for his eveningwear, specifically pretty dresses that don't rock the boat. "He just makes a great gown," said celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch before today's show. "They work whether you're being scrutinized on the red carpet or at a little party in your hometown." This season, Valvo cited as inspiration the clean lines of mid-century modern designers like Isamu Noguchi and Jean-Michel Frank. Sticking to a minimalist's palette of black, white, steely grays, and icy nudes, he made liberal use of all manner of pleating (pintucked, accordion, sunburst) throughout the collection.

Fashion has long batted its eyelashes at architecture and industrial design, but marrying the two successfully isn't an easy proposition. While a lovely bateau-neck dress in ivory crepe with inverted pleats squarely hit the mark, other pieces looked stiff and awkward, particularly the ones with those tricky sunburst pleats.

Valvo also does daywear, most of which stayed in line with the season's sixties thread, with a metallic-tweed swing coat being particularly notable. Of course, the designer's daytime pieces do tend to betray his real interests—they all seem to be designed with an eye toward leaving the office for the night's activities.

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