Katie Couric wasn't able to persuade me to do it, but there's
a good chance that designer Carmen Marc Valvo might be
successful. Like so many others, I have been reluctant to have a
colon cancer screening in spite of the fact that my family
history puts me at risk. Ms. Couric waged a heavily promoted
campaign after the untimely death of her husband from the
disease, but since I never watch the Today Show, her message had
no impact on my aversion to screening.
On other hand, Mr. Valvo is one of my favorite designers, and I
always try and catch his tent show at Bryant Park during Fashion
Week. Learning that he was a colon cancer survivor was a surprise
when I was invited to a special viewing of prizewinning artwork
created for the survivors of colorectal cancer and their
relatives. The unveiling will be held tonight at Gilda's Club
Worldwide (info at 212-944-7370 ext. 237) and the exhibit will
then travel to the NYU Clinical Cancer Care Center. Mr. Valvo has
spent a great deal of time traveling to educate the public about
the importance of early testing.
I asked Mr. Valvo how his disease was diagnosed and surprisingly
he told me that he had insisted on having a colonoscopy after his
doctor initially could find nothing wrong. He said, "I knew
that there was something wrong but couldn't pinpoint it."
Uh, oh, I thought, I've been feeling like that for years but the
idea of this invasive procedure is so repellent, you'd have to
drag me to the doctor. When I expressed my reluctance, Mr. Valvo
said, "Knowledge is power! Fear can be fatal. Colon cancer
is also one of the most curable forms of cancer, especially when
detected early. If you are at risk due to family history, it is
paramount to have early screening."
But, but, the test.... He acknowledged that while it wasn't
glamorous, the most difficult part is the preparation, which
means sitting in the bathroom for four hours. He suggested,
"So find a good book, catch up on magazines or watch a
movie!"
I wondered if his illness had affected his designs and he said,
"After my surgery I found I was fascinated with the frailty
and beauty of flowers. Being an avid amateur gardener, I used my
garden as a source of emotional healing. I then used my garden as
the inspiration for my next collection." 1188 2174 1284 2185
I went to my first Carmen Marc Valvo show in 2002 reluctantly,
because I have been turned off to fashion for some time. Couture
design, in my opinion, had deteriorated from the days of the
classy Hubert de Givenchy to today, when the manic creations of
misogynists reign supreme. Yet here was a designer who clearly
had respect for women and whose designs enhanced their beauty
rather than belittled it. Mr. Valvo acknowledges, "The
fashion industry is such a global machine that creativity
sometimes suffers in lieu of commerciality."
Mr. Valvo was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003. Besides the
usual treatment, he turned to art, his livelihood, to cope with
his illness. When I went to his show in February of this year he
appeared to be in excellent health and great spirits. He's also
given me hope that should I get the bad news, I might use my
talents to help me through it.
As for the future of fashion, my daughters are avid fans of the
reality series "Project Runway" which is a competition
for aspiring fashion designers. I try not to roll my eyes at the
silliness because my girls enjoy the drama. What did Mr. Valvo
think of this show? He answered, "Project Runway is great
television and there is some semblance of truth to it."
Still, when I look around the streets of Manhattan, I see no
evidence that young women have emerged from the Nirvana grunge
era. In film that's another story. Last week, I witnessed the
quintessence of glamour in the new film "The Devil Wears
Prada." I went out of curiosity because a small part was
filmed in The New York Sun offices and I actually did catch a
glimpse of my desk shown briefly in the rear of the room.
Throughout the film, which is loosely based on a book that
trashed the editor of Vogue, I found it hard to imagine myself
ever being such a slave to fashion. The idea of $1,200 handbags
to me is rather obscene, but I am also grateful that not everyone
shares my lack of taste for overpriced garments and accessories,
or the fashion industry would die.
As long as there are still designers with integrity and strength
of character like Carmen Marc Valvo, long live haute couture.