DALLAS, Sep 21, 2004/ FW/ --- With the theme “Dream of Life,” Carmen Marc Valvo celebrated joie de vivre with his Spring 2005 collection that is full of color and vitality.

Creating custom fabrics for this collection, the New York-based designer also showed his mastery of wrapping, knotting and draping techniques, sending both flowing and structured silhouettes on the runway.

With a color palette based on a tropical paradise, vibrant reds, orange and greens were mixed with black and white resulting to effervescent clothes that are sensual and confident with a generous dash of effortless glamour thrown in.

Spring 2005 also marked the launch of Carmen Marc Valvo Swim, a new line of beachwear from this prolific designer who is considered one of 7th Avenue’s inspiring success stories.

From the maillots, strapless one-piece swimsuits and bikinis that were shown, the swimwear collection promises to be another successful line for Carmen Marc Valvo who had launched his shoes and accessories lines under the tents at Bryant Park.

Though the press notes said that the designer’s favorite actresses, Hedy Lamar and Kathleen Turner for their inimitable spirits, inspired the collection, the press conference last September 8 for the launch of “Be Seen, Be Screened,” an initiative for colon cancer awareness, the Spring 2005 collection’s mantra “Living life to the fullest,” can also be interpreted as Carmen Marc Valvo’s personal philosophy.

A colon cancer survivor, Carmen Marc Valvo shared his personal struggle with this curable cancer to journalists and guests.

“Before I was diagnosed with colon cancer, I was totally unaware of my own family history relating to the disease,” said Valvo. “With no family history on record, I was not eligible for prescreening by insurance and would have normally had to wait until the age of 50 for my first colon cancer screening. Had I waited, my prognoses would have been much, much different,” he related.

The “Be Seen and Be Screened” campaign struck a personal note to Valvo and that prompted him to share a very private experience to help others.

Designer Carmen Marc Valvo continues to be a tower of strength and a role model not only in the fashion industry, but also for something as private and as personal as continuing to live life to the fullest even when faced with a very frightening disease.

In his very busy schedule, Valvo even finds time to be a mentor to an aspiring designer. Nathalie Madera, a fashion design student at the Katherine Gibbs School in New York will intern at the designer’s atelier as part of her prize for winning the LG Phones’ “Life's Good” design contest.

Carmen Marc Valvo

Carmen Marc Valvo

Carmen Marc Valvo

Carmen Marc Valvo

Carmen Marc Valvo