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Carmen Marc Valvo

January 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Designer for the REAL woman’s body…

“Over the years, the designer has demonstrated the talent to do it all.” Women’s Wear Daily

Growing up in a traditional Spanish/Italian family in Westchester County, NY, Carmen Marc Valvo developed spirit and talent early on.  His parents, both in the medical profession, once influenced his decision to become a plastic surgeon.

Valvo loved painting, oil painting in fact and began his ascent towards design when he created medieval costumes for his sister.

His educational career began at Manhattanville College. After traveling in Europe and becoming proficient in several languages, he enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York. He then began his design education in the house of Nina Riccia in Paris designing ready to wear.  Shortly thereafter, he went to Christian Dior but by 1989 he was ready to launch his own label.

Sounding like a Cinderella story, with just a few thousand dollars in his pocket he pulled together a collection to show to specialty stores at fall market in New York.  His sportswear was immediately snapped up by several top stores giving him the encouragement to go where his true passion was-in eveningwear.  It is there that he captured the heart and soul of high end buyers at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

Fast forward today, what sets Valvo apart is his extraordinary craftsmanship and excruciating attention to hand detail.

His technical skill and mastering the fine art of cutting and draping and fit issues with a woman’s body made him a popular designer to influential stars such as Beyonce, Opra, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah and Kim Cattrall.  These are all beautiful curvaceous women.  So perhaps he is a surgeon after all!

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

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Armed for Business or Adorned with Color

January 28, 2010 By 4 Comments

Last night was the State of the Union Address.  Within 10 seconds I was on FaceBook and Twitter commenting about all the color I saw.

It is NOT unusual for me to analyze the dress of people,  but I think someone forgot to tell V.P Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi that they weren’t the center of attention.

Their “matched” uniforms, made them look like an old married couple on a date in their coordinating purple/lavender outfits.  Who in the world did that?  Do you think they saved money on their stylist?  Yes, purple is considered a color people relate to, but was it “appropriate” in the setting staged last night?

Don’t get me wrong, it was refreshing to see all the color.  I really like color.  I won’t talk about Michelle’s outfit here; but even Isaac Mizrahi knew enough to be understated with her color.  (I would have liked to have seen her with a jacket to show support of the serious tenor here).  Seriously, what were they thinking???

George Stephanopoulos mentioned that the “color” was to show unity or lack of bi-partisianship.   As soon as I saw Joe Biden’s purple tie and then Nancy Pelosi’s lavender suit my attention was no longer on the Presidents message, rather what everyone was wearing!  Did anyone else notice this?  A video pan of the house had large swaths of Canary Yellow, Vibrant Blue, Fuchsia and Red.  It looked like a bunch of Easter Eggs ripe for the picking.

Did they look nice?  YES, were they appropriately dressed for the occasion?  NO!  Do they think that just by wearing “color” we will be appeased, comforted and moved to think that all is well?  I just don’t get it…

This is the worst economic time in recent history and serious times take serious measures.  Adorning yourself with “color” does not convey the meaning of seriousness.  What “strategist” influenced THIS decision?  I’m hoping it was NOT one of my color colleagues!   I would suggest that a study in the psychology of color is in order.

Playful, vibrant hues are not serious colors.  If we want to be taken seriously we need to take ourselves seriously.  Let’s get down in the trenches, roll up our sleeves and remember who we are and who we are here to serve.  This IS serious business.  Now let’s get on with the business at hand and JUST DO IT!

Filed Under: Color, First Impresions Tagged With: , ,

Part 2 Fit Faux Pas – Danger Zones in Your Closet

January 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Up to this point we’ve been talking about the dangers in choosing the problem with pattern that cause wardrobe malfunction.  The second danger zone is fitting the body.

It never ceases to amaze me that even though there are at least 6 general body shapes, there is not a woman that shops who doesn’t expect to find the perfect fitting garment for her body.  Mind you that most clothes are cut to a model size 8, figure 8 with an average height of at least 5’6″.  I ask why and how can you expect to find something perfect if your body wasn’t made in a size 8/hourglass (mine’s not!)?????  The majority of American women have a triangle body line—but I digress.

The problem in your fit closet comes in 2 areas:

  1. Body Line
  2. Body Proportion

A woman’s body line is either “curvy” or “straight”.  Her proportion will either give her long or short legs(lower body), a long or short torso (upper body).  It’s encouraging to know that if you have been blessed with length in one area you will more than likely be not so blessed in another area.

Use length to your advantage and concentrate creating “visual” length where you are short.  If you have a high waist or if it  feels as if it sits right under your breast bone, you will be uncomfortable when you wear high waist pants or skirts.  It will make you appear shorter through the body and you’ll be “all legs”.

Consequently, if you have short legs, you will make them appear shorter by wearing long skirts or short heeled shoes.  There are many ways to create visual length and showing the right amount of skin is just one way. Color blocking and lines will also help.

Just remember, don’t focus (highlight) the negative by making what’s short look shorter.  By using the right camouflage techniques, you will create the illusion of balance and proportion every time!  Follow us next as we discuss trend trouble! Have fun with your color and have fun with your style and…

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

Filed Under: Alterations, Articles, Wardrobe Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Part 1 Pattern Malfunction-Dangers Zones in Your Closet

January 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you have been to StyleCAMP you’ve heard all about my own personal pattern malfunction!  (more about that another day!)  Have you ever taken stock of what is in your closet to see what patters you have in there?  Pattern can have a wonderful way of adding new dimension and personality to your wardrobe.  It should always reflect your body’s scale and patterns.

Are you drawn to stripes or plaids or check and tweeds?  What about flowers or paisleys?  Maybe you like them all or maybe you are a bit confused.

Take a good look around your home.  Observe your artwork and table coverings.  Look at your pillows and chairs.  This will give you some indication of what you might like and what probably looks good on you.

Pattern is vital to a great working wardrobe but it shouldn’t take center stage.  When first building a working wardrobe always start with a solid foundation just as you do in your home.

Understand your physicality.  Take stock of the following:

  • Bone structure (small, medium or large)
  • Shape of your face (angled or round)
  • Patterns on your skin (smooth or textured)

These nuances will help guide you to the best designs in fabrics for your body.  Repeating a pattern in design that you like in your body is a good thing.

If you have a very angular shaped face, you a probably drawn to geometric designs.  Similarly, if your face is round and soft patterns that don’t have such a definite shape will compliment your body better.

Follow us next as we discover part 2 of Dangers in Your Closet:  Fit Faux Pas.

Filed Under: Articles, Style Tips, Wardrobe Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Danger Zones Lurking in Your Closet

January 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It’s been pretty cold here in the southeast this winter especially since the holidays have left their distant memory. I usually relax my guard after the holidays  under the shroud of my winter woolies. Besides, no on will see my body in a bathing suit for a few months, right? Beware, there are dangers lurking in your closet when you hibernate beneath baggy, saggy, sloppy unfitted clothes.

I’ve seen a lot of problems in closets over the years, but there seems to be 3 zones that creep up time and time again. Each of these alone are not really a problem. It’s only when they are made together that it presents disaster for a wardrobe.

  1. Pattern Malfunction
  2. Fit faux pas
  3. Trend Trouble

Most people don’t get it all wrong.  There are consistent mis-steps along the way until they are way off and confusion sets in .  Having true style means that you understand who you are from top to bottom.

You know the patterns that work for your body.  You understand how to fit the lines of your body to create harmony and you follow the trends adapting only those that work for your style personality.

Follow us as we talk about how to eliminate these danger zones and create a great wardrobe for the life you lead.

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

Filed Under: Articles, Style, Wardrobe Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Why Color Matters-3 Things to Know

January 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There’s something about a new season, especially spring, that brings about a desire to wear color in even the most color challenged of us.  Perhaps it is longer days or maybe the buds forming on the trees.  Whatever the reason, the first breath of spring tends to draw desire in most people to add a pop of color.

Start with these 3 lessons in color to make sure that the color you wear is focused and well placed.

  1. Color Matters Most:  Above the waist.  Color has the most significant impact on your skin tone when you wear it next to your skin.
  2. Color Should Make You Feel Good:  Color sends a message.  Be happy in the color you wear.  You should respond physically in a relaxed mood when you see it.  Think about the color that you say is yummy.  That is the color that will probably make you feel good!
  3. Color Should Be in Harmony: With your overall physicality.  The color that you wear shouldn’t “fight” with you.  It should balance your appearance and not make one part of your body stand out greater than the other. Color should NOT walk in the room before you do!  YOU should be the main focus NOT your clothes.

When speaking of “color”, it is not referring to simply black or white.  Color is color that you respond to emotionally.  Relationship with color is both physical and emotional.  Physically color can make us “feel” strong or subdued.  Emotionally, color can tell the world we are powerful or delicate.  Our relationship with color starts the day we are born and develops as we grow through our family influences, culture, and environmental surroundings.

If you have not been wearing color, it may feel that a bit “out-there”.  Learn how to wear color and start simply with an accessory piece, scarf or shirt.  Beginning slowing will allow you to see, feel and hear what the world (and you) are saying.  Your fears about color will soon disappear and you will open new opportunities in your closet and the world around you.

Wearing color doesn’t have to be stressful to the point of only wearing “black and white”.  Remember touches of color on you will not only complete the picture of you but also will attract people to you and give you an energy that will help you look interesting to others.  As you become more confident with color, you will learn how to add color(s) to your wardrobe and look to create a unique style.  Now, that’s what I call STYLE!

“Look Good, Feel Good & Have Fun Doing It”

Filed Under: Color Tagged With: , , ,

Kathryn Kalisz-Donovan-A Tribute

January 19, 2010 By 3 Comments

Update!  January 27, 2010.  The SciArt Website is up again and they are taking “wallet” orders.  This is a great way to continue to support the family during this time.

This is a guest post from a colleague/friend of mine who knew our mentor Kathryn “Kitty” Kalisz.  I wanted to share it with you all.  Mayte Garza, President of Reveal Style Consultancy.

Mayte was one of her first students and became one of  her strongest educators/supporters.  Thank you Mayte for a beautiful tribute.

The headlines read “Elderly women dead in Hernando Florida shooting”

One of the women referred to in that article was my dear friend and mentor Kathryn Kalisz-Donovan. Those of us, who knew her well, know that she would have scoffed at being referred to as elderly; in fact she avoided the subject of her age entirely because, as she made clear to her best friend Kim Wagner, she planned to live to be 150. Kathryn was a powerful woman, such so that her daughter Louanna said yesterday in a tearful conversation “…I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I never thought Mother could be killed or die for that matter.” She was such an indomitable spirit.

To her students she was passionate and compelling. To her fellow color experts and image professionals, she was a leading authority on the subject of color and fierce in her to determination to maintain the integrity of the system of Personal Color Analysis. To those of us who loved her she was all those things and just “Kitty”, a gentle woman who walked to the beat of her own drum. Kitty was artsy, bohemian, an individualist, a mother first and foremost, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a writer, a mentor, a dreamer, an optimist, and a really good friend.

Power is defined as the ability to do something or act, powerful as having the ability to influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Kitty was a powerful woman who took action in pursuit of her dreams, who never let anything and anyone get in her way, and who had a great capacity to inspire others with her great passion for color. By the time she launched her book Understanding Your Color, and her business, Sci\ART she had been a struggling artist, an art instructor, a Personal Color Analyst, and a Munsell colorist where she solidified her already vast color education.

She was a single mother, supporting and caring for her three daughters, Manessa Donovan and Suzie Greif, who worked with her at Sci\ART and Louanna Wilson, who she credited with helping her write her book and who, with her husband, Chris Wilson’s help, designed and managed the Sci\ART website.

Kitty launched Sci\ART, her company dedicated to the study of color, its use, and its affects on the human being in 2000. She achieved international acclaim and was included in the “Who’s Who of American Women,” 2000-2001, Millennium Edition for her innovation work in the field of color. Kitty used her artistic expertise, the knowledge she gained as a colorist, and her exceptional ability to communicate and demonstrate this knowledge to make her workshops a life-changing experience for her students.

In 2002, having made the decision to redefine my career, I found Sci\ART. I had been color analyzed 25 years before, when I worked in sales on Wall Street. Loving clothes and all things related to fashion as I always have, I had come to appreciate the importance that wearing flattering colors played in creating a visually pleasing impression. So having decided to become a Personal Color Analyst and having thoroughly researched color education, I signed up for Kitty’s Personal Color Analysis Workshop. Sci\ART’s driving philosophy that color is art but its accuracy is a science made it abundantly clear to me that this was the company with which I wanted to affiliate. I went from being the only student that first day to participating in countless workshops with numerous students, over the course of the next several years.

I witnessed the powerful effect that Kitty had on her students with her depth of knowledge and her passion for color. We all came to learn how to do Personal Color Analysis, and left seeing color holistically with a true appreciation for the role that color plays on the human being physically and emotionally. We learned that color is light and an integral life sustaining force with well-established therapeutic benefits.

If power is the ability to act and being powerful is having the ability to influence others then Kitty was a living example. Thanks to Kitty, I am now privileged to be a certified instructor along with other talented image professionals from Los Angeles to Australia and Hong Kong. We enjoy thriving businesses, and like Kitty, we help our clients and students see the world that surrounds us through her eyes. In essence, the world for her was color and it was beautiful.

Kitty was a free spirit who tragically suffered a brutal death. She devoted her professional life to building Sci\ART, her beloved business. She left a footprint in the field of color where she will be sorely missed.

Kitty used to talk about this dream place near running water, where she could paint naked all day in the woods. I find some solace in the belief that she is now at peace in her little corner of heaven and find comfort in the following words from Kahlil Gibran:

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
…And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
– Excerpted from The Prophet -

Donations to help the family defray medical costs can be sent to:
Suntrust Bank
1 East Jefferson Street
Brooksville, Florida 34601
Attention: Sherri Lucier

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5 Ways to Eliminate Returns!

January 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I really hate returns, well, I take that back.  The only returns I  like are on my investments and those are few and far between these days!  But seriously, I abhor returning items to a store.  It is a waste of time and money.  Here are 5 easy ways to eliminate or at the very least MINIMIZE your returns and maximize your ROT (return on your time!)

  1. Shop With a Plan: Go to the store focused on what you are looking for and don’t get distracted
  2. Don’t Buy Just Because It Is On Sale: How many times do you convince yourself that it is “o.k.” just because it is on sale.  It must follow the 3 “F’s” to get to the register (fit, flatter, feel-good!)
  3. Don’t Shop With Your Friend: unless she knows your style and promises NOT to make you buy what looks good on her!
  4. TRY IT ON! How many times do you buy something just to take it home to “try”..Get theyself into the dressing room…(remember “Fit-Flatter=Feel Good”)
  5. Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry: Basically don’t wait until the last minute when you need something. Shop seasonally and build your wardrobe “based on purpose”.  Being pressured to find something is the best way to ensure a return

Plan, focus and “attack” and you are sure to have a great wardrobe and

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

Filed Under: Articles, How To, Shop Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Name My Icon!

January 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment


There should be a “pop” up on your screen to allow you a final “vote”. Check your “pop-up” blocker and allow so you can vote! Help us name her! She’s young, she’s fresh, she’s sooooo-”she-she”. But, who is she? We will reveal her name on January 30th at StyleCAMP.

Icon Lady_Black Dress_317_smThis month in the January Newsletter, I asked that you send my your suggestions for naming my new Icon!  Here’s her picture.  So far we have a large response.  I’d love to hear what your top 3 choices are.  To respond click on the link below:

If you have a “better” name, send it in!  We’ll announce in on Saturday, January 30th at StyleCAMP.

Click Here to Submit

Remember, the winning name gets:

  • FREE Subscription to Ask My Stylist AND
  • FREE admission to both Trends with Friends Events in 2010.
Filed Under: Articles, Sofie Tagged With: ,

Part 3 – A Wardrobe Based on Purpose – Accessories

January 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In Part 1 we discussed, key core pieces, Part 2 we discovered the importance of accent colors. Now in the final installment of a Wardrobe Based on Purpose, we explore Accessories!

Much like the “icing” on a cake, accessories complete the outfit.  To leave the icing off just doesn’t “taste” as good.  Neither does your outfit!  An otherwise boring outfit become stellar with a few simple well-placed and thought out accessories.  Accessories should always bring out your style personality and embrace your inner core.  For those of you who abhor shopping, this will make it more fun, I promise!

There are 6 well-defined style personalities and one of those reflect who you really are!  Don’t hide behind a core piece, don’t hide behind your “accent” color. Bring it on!  Show your style!!

DO you know if you are a classic, traditional, feminine, sporty, dramatic or trendy personality.  I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to be considered stylish, but knowing “who” you are is key.

Accessories: Belts, shoes, handbags, jewelry, scarves -may even be the buttons or embellishments added to a jacket that shows your style

What is it that makes you say that someone looks “put-together”?  Is it that they have a pair of slacks on that fits their body?  Is it the jacket they have on?  I say NO, these are not in and of themselves unique.  It is the accessories added to an outfit that create a dynamic, unique, expressive outfit.

Here are the important components to build a wardrobe on purpose with accessory pieces:

Accessory Key Core:

  • Key Core Neutral shoes and handbags (Ex., if you have purchased a navy suit, then buy key core accessory shoes and a handbag in navy.
  • Two heel heights (minimally) open and closed-toe.
  • Remembering that you have 2 seasons that you are working with, do not forget to have 2 sets of seasonal key core accessory shoes.

Accessory Accents Colors:

  • Know your seasonal accent  “color”
  • Shop only for accessories in your accent color
  • Collect scarves, handbags, bangles, belts, earrings, necklaces, etc.

Make sure that as you select your accent jewelry that it does reflect your personality!  If you have a very sporty personality, you will not feel comfortable in a sweet, delicate necklace or one with lace!  That’s for the feminine personality.  There you have it!  A simple wardrobe created on purpose with focus on 3 easy steps. To read the other parts of a Wardrobe on Purpose click the links below.

Filed Under: Accessories, Articles, How To Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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