Style That Sells

When designer Carmen Marc Valvo showed his fall 2005 collection during New York Fashion Week last month, there were no starlets in the front row prowling for Oscar gowns. Nor did his designs grab headlines, top must-have lists or spark debate. And yet over the 16 years Valvo has designed his namesake label, he has quietly garnered one thing his colleagues would covet: a buzz-worthy bottom line.

“I like to give women something that’s beautiful and wearable,” says Valvo, 51. “And because I do that, I don’t get as much attention. Being flavor of the month is not going to keep me in business.”

Depending on whom you ask, however, Valvo may have been the flavor of the past decadeand counting. His less expensive Collection line is the top eveningwear seller at Neiman Marcus, for instance, while his higher-end shutter-pleat dress has pulled in more than $4 million in sales. Making time for his runway show: Neiman Marcus Group CEO Burt Tansky, Saks vice chairman Ron Frasch and Bergdorf Goodman CEO Jim Gold.

The business of fashion isn’t always a pretty thing. Designers are increasingly bending to the whims of corporate backers, as big names like Helmut Lang have lost control of their houses, while designers like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney have been given ultimatums to boost profitability. Valvo, in contrast, owns his own $80 million company–an industry rarity–and has no intention of ceding control.

Valvo’s attitude toward glamour is democratic. His dresses have Vera Wang grace, Narciso Rodriguez sexiness and the intricate detailing and embellishment of Valentino couture. His careful construction makes such high styles suitable for a variety of body types and sizes. The shutter-pleat dress, for example, consists of bias-cut strips of fabric stitched together to create a de facto corset. “They’re miracle dresses,” Valvo says. “Put the body in there and–shoop! The bias expands and controls. Everyone ends up with this amazing hourglass figure.”

“Women are just very happy in them and keep coming back,” says Joan Kaner, fashion director at Neiman Marcus. “There are a lot of little slip dresses out there, but there aren’t many women, really, who can wear them.”

Even in Valvo’s Collection line, which makes up 75% of his profit, underpinnings are key. One $390 beaded-lace skirt features a pleated-tulle petticoat. When celebrities do wear Valvo–Catherine Zeta-Jones; Beyonce, to meet Nelson Mandela in South Africa–they trade on his style, not his name. “There’s an incredible simplicity to the lines but an impact and glamour you don’t find a lot of places,” says stylist Nick Steele, who has dressed Claire Danes and Radha Mitchell in Valvo’s looks. Valvo, who spends four months of each year traveling to meet current and future clients, is in no danger of losing touch. “It’s not like I’m in some ivory tower,” he says. “There’s just too much of that nonsense.”