Carmen Marc Valvo, BFA Fashion Design ’78
For three decades, Carmen Marc Valvo ’78 has designed glamorous eveningwear for some of the world’s most influential women.
New York-based fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo, BFA Fashion Design ’78, is known for dressing some of the most powerful leading women in Hollywood and influential women around the world. With three decades in the industry, including jobs at Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, and Bill Atkinson, Valvo has built an iconic brand in glamorous eveningwear.
Valvo grew up in a traditional Spanish-Italian family in Westchester New York, where he developed a passion for oil painting and made costumes for his sisters. After receiving a Fine Arts degree at Manhattanville College, he traveled through Europe for a few years and became proficient in several languages. He returned to the U.S. and enrolled in the Parsons. With only $15,000, he started his own line in 1989. His hustle, business savvy, and strong will to succeed have helped him to make it in an incredibly competitive industry.
Since launching his namesake brand, he has branched into an eyewear collection, a lingerie collection, a swimsuit-line which is a best-seller at Victoria’s Secret, and a Hamptons-inspired home collection, called CMV Home sold through QVC. He most recently launched a collection of evening bags and an exclusive Bridal Collection in 2010.
