Carmen Marc Valvo's starry (and furry) night
Carmen Marc Valvo seems to be pushing himself in several directions this season, upping the fur factor and lowering perhaps, the median age of his clientele (just a tad) by offering what seemed some more youthful looks. His runway, rolled out at the NASDAQ building in Times Square, was electrified with a dazzling selection of beaded tulle, metallic lace and iridescent chiffon.
With 30-plus years in the fashion biz, Valvo knows how to please all those countless Upper East Side ladies and Hollywood starlets, from Vanessa Williams to Beyonce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Winslet and more. A one-shoulder copper metallic lace gown glistened; a persimmon chiffon cocktail dress, gathered to one side, seemed ablaze; a black and pewter metal embroidered gown shimmered like the Milky Way; and organza gowns with embroidery or appliques swirled a la the backdrop in Van Gogh's "Starry Night."
If that's not enough, there's a variety of uber-luxe furs (fox, sable, chinchilla, palamino shaved mink). And younger shoppers (or those who'd like to be mistaken for such) may be drawn in by modern combinations--a black mink-lined bomber jacket paired with a mohair embroidered cocktail dress, or a cashmere cardigan atop an asymmetrical chiffon skirt.