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nIf you want to blend in with the crowd at the next social function you attend, Marc Bouwer is not your designer.nnIf you instead want to razzle-dazzle the room, make men weak-kneed and women jealous, a look at Marc Bouwer’s latest is required.nnThe New York-based designer has been dressing Hollywood celebrities for years. The gown he created for Laverne Cox for last year’s Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards had cape-like sleeves that trailed behind the statuesque actress like wings. Cox wore a black Bouwer dress with embellished pockets to last Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. The white satin halter dress that Angelina Jolie wore to the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony is still routinely cited as one of her most enduring red-carpet dazzlers. Ditto for looks he’s whipped up for Beyoncé and Charlize Theron, not to mention the new first lady, Melania Trump.nn“She has an incredible fashion sense, and exceptional taste in clothing,” Bouwer says of the Slovenian-born former model, who he met before she was married to Donald Trump.nnThe last big event Bouwer dressed Melania Trump for was the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala in 2012. She wore a short, fitted white dress with an asymmetric hem and spiky shoulders. “Her style is simple, but she’s not afraid to be edgy,” he said, noting he has recently exchanged correspondence with Mrs. Trump and hopes to dress her again.nnBouwer’s customers also include socially prominent women around the country such as philanthropist Barbara Davis and her daughters. With her husband, Marvin, Barbara Davis created her namesake Center for Childhood Diabetes in Denver in 1978 after their daughter Dana developed the disease. The Davises also began staging star-studded Carousel Balls, which have raised millions of dollars for the cause. The organization has now come full circle, with Dana serving as executive director of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation.nnOne of the foundation’s key events is the annual Brass Ring Luncheon and Fashion Show, and Bouwer will be in Denver to present his latest creations in support of the organization on March 24.nnDana Davis said that when a committee met to begin talking about a headliner for the show, Bouwer’s name quickly came up.nn“I’ve known him for many years because my mother and lots of family friends have worked with him,” said Davis, who also had a shoe collection and was active in the fashion industry. “He’s got such wonderful style — classic but elegant and with Hollywood flair.”n
n“He does incredible fashion shows and we wanted to elevate the fashion show itself,” she added, also commending the designer for his charitable side. “He’s such a great partner and a generous human being. With the trunk show the day after the show, he’s donating 20 percent of the sales to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation.”nn
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Old Hollywood inspiration
nThe designer wants the show to be memorable. “This is different than showing at Fashion Week in New York,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “This is more a show for entertainment value. More of a spectacular production, with a slower pace.”nnHe said he expects to present looks from his spring collection as well as pieces from the fall line he debuted Feb. 2 at a CineFashion Film Awards event in New York. The theme of his new collection, he said, is “definitely old Hollywood” and inspired by “the sirens who I fell in love with as a kid.” Expect to see sexy, seductive looks.nnBouwer is known for his fabrics and has been using stretch velvet for gowns with plunging necklines and deep backs. Flowing sleeve treatments and cape-style backs add drama to dresses. His jersey gowns cling to the body and often feature cutouts on the side and deeply slit skirts. He’s also a fan of ornate, colorful beading.nnBouwer also produces a mass-market line that is sold on Evine.com. “I love designing the Evine collection,” he said of the venture, now in its third year. “It’s a challenge for any designer to make clothes that are fun and appealing, and also have to function in the real world and be affordable.”nnInspiration for some of the looks come from his high-end line, but sporty styles are influenced by what he thinks modern women want to wear. “A lot of my clients are mature but want to be part of what is happening; they have a younger mentality.”nnBouwer said changes in the fashion industry have made him alter his approach to both creating and selling his designs, which is why the Evine business is so different from his high-end line. “The kind of woman who wears our couture wants to be fitted personally, and might want a few changes,” he says. “That is something that is hard for department stores to do today.”nnBouwer’s special occasion looks – often beaded and in high-end fabrics –- range from about $3,500 to $6,000 and are made under his supervision in his New York City workrooms.nnBouwer has long done things a little differently than his contemporaries in New York. The native of South Africa was in the military as a national requirement as a young man. Then he studied fashion and his talent was recognized with the South African Vogue young designer award. Soon after, he set out to make his name in New York City. He landed a job with famed designer Halston and learned techniques from the master, including draping.nn
Bouwer started his own design firm with Paul Margolin and the two have been business partners since the early 1990s. Bouwer’s penchant for the dramatic sets him apart from the pack and he is known for staging theatrical shows, in a variety of media.nnHe was among the first in America to put his fashion show online and recalled that the trade publication Women’s Wear Daily refused to cover it. “They said it was too out of the box, and now every designer is doing it,” Bouwer said.nnHe thinks it makes more sense to stage smaller shows and put them online than spend $200,000 on a Fashion Week show that lasts just minutes. He feels differently about charity events, especially “if it’s for a special cause or helps emerging talent.”nnAmong those causes are animal welfare organizations. On his Facebook page, Bouwer describes himself in his introduction as an “animal welfare advocate and activist,” putting his fashion business second. He uses no fur or fabrics that come from animals in his lines, including leather and suede.n
The Celebrity Factor
nBouwer has had the most success building his brand by working with celebrity clients. “It’s something I really enjoy. You get one good hit and it keeps your name relevant.”nnBut what happens when you’re one of 10 designers who send a top actress dresses and she doesn’t end up wearing yours on the red carpet?nn“I’ve learned not to bite my nails,” he said. “You have to take the disappointments with the highs. When you’re in this league, you’re up against the best. So if you lose someone, you move on to the next.”nnThat said, he noted that it has become harder to get A-list celebrities to wear his designs because many of them are under contract by big fashion houses. The fashion companies pay the celebrities to don their designs – not only at high-wattage affairs, but often in advertising and at more casual occasions.nn“So you get them on the way up, and hopefully every once in a while you get them back,” he said.nnHe said he also enjoys dressing less high-profile women for the big occasions in their lives and encourages them to make the most of the experience. “When you are being honored or are a guest at the wedding, it’s your moment to shine,” he said. “Be a star – dress up, look great and knock ‘em dead.”n
If You Go: Brass Ring Luncheon and Fashion Show
nThe 39th annual luncheon and show benefiting programs of the Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes will be March 24 at the Denver Marriott City Center, 1701 California St. New York-based designer Marc Bouwer is the featured designer. The event, which begins at 9:30 a.m., will also feature a silent auction. The day’s honoree is Susie Hummell, who has been the guild’s program manager for 20 years. Individual tickets range from $100 to $300 per person. For more information, call 303-628-5109 or visit childrensdiabetesfoundation.orgn
If You Go: Marc Bouwer Trunk Show
nDesigner Marc Bouwer will meet with clients and show his line at a trunk show at a private home from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 25. For more information and to attend, contact Kayla@childrensdiabetesfoundation.org or call 303-628-5103 by March 23.nn
