Shopping for Charity with Carmen Marc Valvo

Surely there’s no buyer’s remorse when you purchase for charity!

On Saturday, Tysons Galleria was the location of a fabulous fashion event that put the spotlight on the Colon Cancer Alliance. First, there was a fashion show of designer Carmen Marc Valvo’s Fall evening collection and then a sale of his dresses at Neiman Marcus. Later on, the Elie Tahari store had a sale where 10 percent of the proceeds would go to charity.

During the fashion show, Carmen Marc Valvo was gushing over the evening dresses he designed, describing the color white as “a perennial favorite” and his predilection for train lengths in a dress that aren’t 40 feet long, among other things.

“I love a train,” he said.

The fashion show, however, was also a moment to reflect on the impact colon cancer has on people’s lives and how the Colon Cancer Alliance has an influence on research efforts and offers both prevention programs and patient support programs.

In addition to dresses that showcased fil coupé (French for cut thread), signature beading, and hand-stitched flowers, some of Carmen Marc Valvo’s dresses included the color blue, which is a signature color in the battle against colon cancer.

The overall shopping experience was a luxurious one. In addition to getting style advice from Carmen Marc Valvo at Neiman Marcus, people who shopped at Elie Tahari had the chance to peruse clothing items while sipping champagne and enjoying nibbles.