Dressed to Perfection

As you know from my previous post, I had the opportunity to go to a luncheon featuring Carmen Marc Valvo this past Friday. After much searching, I finally figured out what I was going to wear. I know it seems like I kind of obsessed over this outfit, and you are exactly right. But I mean come on, how many times do you get to attend a lunch with a fashion designer? I mean this guy has dressed Oprah, Beyonce, the princess of Sweden, Katie Couric, Kate Winslet, Queen Latifah...need I go on? I finally settled on a black and white print tunic, a big black belt, leggings, classic black patent leather heels, a turquoise purse, turquoise earrings, turquoise bangles and a bright yellow necklace for an unexpected pop of color.

I pulled up to Coplon's on Friday morning and sat in the car a minute scoping out the ladies walking in. It looked like everyone was older than me, and when I walked in I realized I was most likely the youngest person in attendance. Most of the people were in their late 20's, 30's, or 40's. The cutest group in attendance was the little old ladies that pulled out their two piece suits and got all dolled up for the event.

Coplon's was the perfect place to have the luncheon. Not only is it one of the most high-end stores in Greenville, but the store is beautiful and spacious in itself. Jimmy Choo's, Miu Miu's and Louboutin's acted as centerpieces for each table. I loved looking at all the clothes in the store, but thankfully was not tempted to buy any of them because they were WAY out of my price range.

Here is a picture of the centerpieces:

As we all sat down to eat, a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield talked a little. I didn't realize this, but the luncheon also acted as a fundraiser for colon cancer research. Carmen is a survivor of colon cancer and has begun sharing his story in order to encourage people to take the steps to prevent the disease. He recently shared his story on The Today Show and is working with Blue Cross Blue Shield in their campaign to prevent colon cancer. Carmen spoke for a while and shared his story of fashion and cancer with us. He was so down to earth, not like a artsy fashion designer who had his head up in the clouds. He was sincere and spoke from the heart. His speech made me want to go buy all of his clothes. I can dream right?

While we ate our girly frufru food, models walked around in some of Carmen's evening gowns. So beautiful. Carmen also came to each table to sign books and talk with us while we ate. He recently released his book Dressed to Perfection: The Art of Dressing for Your Red Carpet Moments. 

Such a great coffee table book. Who knows, I may end up buying it on Amazon at some point :) After the luncheon Taryn (my boss) made sure I had the opportunity to get a picture with Carmen. Here it is:

I know this is a long post, but this was such a cool experience for me so I wanted to share it with you all! I felt like I lived in the high fashion world of NYC for a few hours.  Hope you have enjoyed reading about it!