Carmen Marc Valvo Spring 2014: Valvo’s trig-loving tribe

Whenever fashion decides to “go tribal,” three things tend to happen: turkeys everywhere start feeling a draft on their rear ends (hi, Nicholas K!); there’s a run on bead markets from Dakar to Dagestan; and geometry sets emerge from seventh-grade backpacks into the light of day.

It’s this last option that Carmen Marc Valvo brings to the runway for New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014. At first glance, the body-conscious dresses of this collection might seem more sport-luxe, with their high-cut armholes and piping-like insets strategically placed to delineate an athletic physique.

But when it comes to the detailing, the ruler rules. Sixties style double square cut-outs pop against nude organza. Rectangular strips of organza or black leather punctuate hiplines and hems. Herringbone sequins form a shield around an otherwise overexposing sheer shift.

With typically masterful tailoring, the designer sends strips and stripes darting and dashing horizontally and diagonally across monochromatic palettes, creating an energy that belies the delicacy of the materials. And beneath the dynamic yet not-too-busy geometry, the cuts hug, skim and flare – silhouettes to flatter every member of this trig-loving tribe.