Star Salute Honorees
 
 



Robert Burke


Robert Burke is the President and Chief Executive Officer of

RBA. Prior to founding RBA, Robert served as the Senior Vice

President of Fashion and Public Relations for Bergdorf Goodman,

the world’s leading multi-brand luxury retailer. At Bergdorf,

Robert was responsible for overseeing the merchandising assortment

for all areas of the store including women’s, men’s, accessories,

and decorative home. While at Bergdorf Goodman

Robert discovered many of the young designers of today and

developed strong working relationships with some of the most

prominent designers and brands.

Robert’s unique experience and extensive background, combined

with his close personal relationships with industry leaders,

have provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the

luxury sector.
 

Jay Howard Levitt

 

Jay Levitt has been in the retail industry for over 30 years. He is currently the President of The Fashion Bug, a division of Charming Shoppes, based out of Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The Fashion Bug is a national chain of women’s specialty stores that provide moderately priced fashions for real women.

 

Prior to joining Charming Shoppes, Jay had spent most of his career with three department store companies.

 

In 1977 after graduating from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Buying and Merchandising, Jay joined the training program at Burdines Department stores.  At Burdines, Jay elevated to buyer of Junior Sportswear. From  Burdines, Jay joined The Broadway Department Stores in Southern California as a Juniors Buyer.  He excelled to a Merchandise Manager level. After leaving The Broadway stores, Jay joined JW Robinsons, a division of May Stores in 1986.  Jay spent 18 years with May Stores, holding several executive positions.  Such positions included President and CEO of Robinsons May’s west coast division as well as President and CEO of May Merchandising including May Department Stores International. 

 

Jay has been married to his wife Anne for 25 years and they have two daughters, Izzy and Mia.
 
Photographed by Melanie Dunea.

  CARMEN MARC VALVO

 

 

 



In 1989 Carmen Marc Valvo set out on a path that would unknowingly lead him to found his eponymous label and become one of 7th avenue most steadfast independent brands.  He has been exploring his soul’s desire to bring glamorous dressing to every woman’s life ever since.  His elegant eveningwear is now a staple at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, Bergdorf Goodman, and countless other specialty stores nationally and internationally.  TIME Magazine stood up and took notice of Carmen after his Fall 2005 collection in a feature story saying “While other designers seek to shock, Valvo’s creations shine in the marketplace.”  His label now appears on couture gowns and cocktail dresses, his swimwear is a best seller at Victoria’s Secret, sunglasses / eyewear, lingerie, and home décor.

 

Along the way, his designs have ended up on some of the World’s most sophisticated, talented, and glamorous women. From HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Queen Latifah, Beyonce, Katie Couric, Leona Lewis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vanessa Williams, Kate Winslet, Eva Longoria, and Mary J. Blige just to name a few, to fashionable films such as this season’s hit Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Carmen has proven to be a dedicated scholar of his craft, carefully honing his skills to master the fine art of cutting and draping fabric to enhance the female physique so that every customer feels like a star on the red carpet when they walk into a room wearing one of his creations.

 

Valvo grew up in a traditional Spanish/Italian family in Westchester County, New York. His artistic spirit revealed itself early on, when he developed a passion for oil painting and crafted opulent medieval costumes for his sister for a school project. But it wouldn’t be until much later that he would even consider becoming a designer. “I honestly didn’t think it was a real profession,” he admits.

 

His father worked as an anesthesiologist and his mother as a nurse, so it is not surprising that they hoped he would one day join the medical profession, specifically as a plastic surgeon. But after volunteering to work a few sessions in the ER, he turned, instead, to a degree in Fine Arts at Manhattanville College. After spending a few years traveling in Europe — exploring the rich cultural tapestry and becoming proficient in several languages — a car accident would force Valvo to return to the United States but allowed him to set his sites on a career in fashion. After his recovery, he enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York.

 

Valvo’s professional career began as a ready to wear designer for Nina Ricci in Paris, followed by a stint at Christian Dior. But by 1989 he was ready to launch his own label. With only a few thousand dollars, Valvo fearlessly pulled together a collection to show to department and specialty stores at the fall market in New York. His sportswear was an instant success and was bought into several top stores, but it was his eveningwear, his true passion, that captured the hearts of buyers at both Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

 

Having established a solid reputation with his Collection line, Valvo launched Carmen Marc Valvo Couture in 1998, in response to overwhelming demand from his celebrity and VIP clients, who wanted original Carmen Marc Valvo creations that would set them apart from the fashion pack.  The Couture collection is presented twice a year during the New York Fashion Week. These lavish presentations highlight the extraordinary craftsmanship and painstaking hand-detailing that place the Couture collection in a league of its own. The world of Carmen Marc Valvo also includes CMV by Carmen Marc Valvo, and a popular swimwear collection.

 

Carmen is an Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) Ambassador and has given both his time and money to the organization, which has helped raise Millions of dollars for Colon Cancer Research.  Carmen has always utilized his designs to help with many causes over the years, but especially the NCCRA (National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance).  As a colon cancer survivor, Carmen Marc Valvo has been working with Katie Couric, since she partnered with 7th on Sixth in 2004, to bring attention and support of research of this deadly disease.  His efforts, on behalf of the organization, were honored at a gala in March 2006 in New York where Carmen received the first ever Advocate Award from Katie Couric.  In 2008 Carmen appeared with his dear friend Vanessa Williams in a national broadcast and print public service campaign to encourage early screening for colon cancer.

 

And while Valvo’s parents may have been on the right track when they imagined their son making women more beautiful (albeit through a career in plastic surgery), they could have hardly imagined he would realize this dream with a needle and thread rather than a scalpel. But it is Valvo’s superb tailoring, understanding of fit issues and masterful detailing that have distinguished him from his peers.  Women’s Wear Daily perhaps said it best “Over the years, the designer has demonstrated the talent to do it all.”

 

Awards

 

 

 
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