Fashion designer Cyril Verdavainne understands women. His clients are typically 45 and older who want sleeves, coverage, structure and confidence. Thoughtful tailoring is one of his specialties, helping women who have undergone breast cancer treatment. 

“We support the American Cancer Society, so I have a lot of clients who have had procedures done — especially when you’re talking about breast cancer and the scars. Sometimes I have women who want to show their scars because they’re very proud of what happened to them. They really want to talk about it and support the cause.

“But I have clients who want to hide them, and that means pattern changes. That means building a dress around her to magnify her beauty and underline that victory from the illness.”

The New York resident will share his designs at Scottsdale Fashion Week on Saturday, Oct. 10. 

His samples are generally sizes 8 and 10—not runway sizes. His collections travel constantly for trunk shows and “real women try them on.”

“I’m not saying that a size 0 is not a real woman,” he said. “But most women are not a 0.” 

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Verdavainne’s story begins in Casablanca — not the Hollywood version, but the real one. He left Morocco at 17, chasing art, textiles, sculpture and interior design across Europe before landing at Parsons Paris. He interned for Thierry Mugler and Pierre Balmain, absorbing couture discipline before transferring to New York to finish his degree.

His early years were scrappy and hands‑on. Victor Costa hired him after he cold‑called the designer — something Verdavainne jokes would never work today. He spent nights hand‑embroidering gowns, cutting patterns and delivering pieces at 2 a.m. “It was fun. It was a lot of work, but it was fun,” he said.

Then came Carmen Marc Valvo, where Verdavainne became indispensable: illustrating for PR, developing swimwear, launching licensees, and eventually helping steer the brand until he closed the label in 2018. He put Valvo on a plane to Costa Rica and stepped into his own name.

Since then, Verdavainne has built a business rooted in trunk shows, real clients, and a design philosophy that prioritizes women’s needs over runway theatrics.

Phoenix’s event culture is a perfect match. Charity galas, black‑tie fundraisers, philanthropic dinners — the city’s calendar is packed, and Verdavainne designs for exactly those nights.

He also sees Scottsdale Fashion Week as a chance to reconnect with a region he genuinely likes. “It’s a beautiful region,” he said.

Verdavainne’s brand produces only spring, bright, print-driven collections. He designs his own florals digitally, manipulating scale and color to create contemporary, oversized blooms.

“If I start buying artworks and prints that already exist on the market with the fabric suppliers, we’re no longer special,” he said. “Everyone has seen it. Everyone has used it. So instead, we’re being a little bit more daring, as far as scale is concerned, and we’re trying to do bigger flowers. We’re trying to use digital tools to bring them into the contemporary era. We want to make things a little interesting.”

Verdavainne’s philosophy is simple: listen. “My client is my teacher,” he said. “There are new things about women every day that I don’t know about.”

Therefore, he works nonstop. 

“I work all the time,” he said. “I just don’t know life any other way.”