Made for LA
By Irene Marquez, Mommy In Los Angeles® Magazine Fashion Contributor
In 1979 when Marie France Van Damme was invited by her friend to an uncle’s informal dinner at Chez Laurent Restaurant in New York City, Van Damme found herself dining with Salvador Dalí and sitting near Andy Warhol.
“These people were not only spectacular looking in their own ways but the conversations were fascinating, captivating,” she recalls. “It was a glamorous and memorable evening.”
Van Damme, a Canadian-born fashion designer recently launched MFVD Glamour in Beverly Hills, a 16-piece evening wear capsule collection that features outfits in a metallic color palette made with such fabrics as French lace, Italian weaves and Chinese silks.
Her collection can be considered a requiem of that fateful dinner she attended which presumably captured Van Damme’s vision of timeless glamour. It’s also inspired by Studio 54 and the Hollywood jet set.
“Glamour is not about the dress and the jewels. It’s not a style,” assures Van Damme. “Glamour must seem effortless and have some mystery.”
To that extent, Van Damme has combined her designs with accessories that look effortlessly elegant, including the likes of metallic Lamé turbans, French lace gloves and vaporous coverups.
My favorites include a black lace ensemble that graciously drapes over what looks to be a MFVD black metallic swimsuit. I also feel the gold BouBou caftan is a great design that was created to withstand the test of time with a mysterious appeal that’s both fancy and flowy:
The MFVD Glamour collection was first available exclusively at its first U.S. Store inside the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel. Collection items range from $630 to $2500.