FGI Voices – Cyril Verdavainne

CYRIL VERDAVAINNE
FGI Platinum Member | FGI Rising Star Winner
Host of FGI Night of Stars Cocktail Reception 2024

Cyril de Malherbe-Verdavainne established himself as a distinct voice in American fashion when he launched his label, VERDAVAINNE, in 2018. After 15 years as the right hand to renowned American designer Carmen Marc Valvo, and with early training at the fashion houses of Pierre Balmain and Thierry Mugler, Cyril has brought his blend of Parisian heritage and modern elegance to life in a sophisticated women’s eveningwear collection.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in both Paris and New York, Cyril has always been driven by a desire to empower women through fashion. His vision for VERDAVAINNE is to offer an elevated custom design experience, allowing women to express their authentic beauty through couture that is both timeless and bold.

In 2020, amid a global pause, Cyril embraced his creative instincts, moving away from conservative design and into a world of bolder shapes, intricate European fabrics, and a color palette inspired by his Casablanca roots. This daring approach quickly caught the attention of specialty boutiques and Saks Fifth Avenue, which now feature VERDAVAINNE in trunk shows nationwide.
Handcrafted in his Manhattan atelier, each VERDAVAINNE gown showcases meticulous attention to detail and precise fit, with Cyril insisting on body measurements for every custom order, ensuring that each piece reflects the unique beauty of its wearer.
VERDAVAINNE is not only a collection of gowns but a luxurious expression of Cyril’s remarkable journey from Casablanca to London, Paris, and ultimately, New York City, where his atelier continues to redefine women’s couture.

Q and A with FGI President and CEO, Maryanne Grisz

What city were you born in?
Casablanca, Morocco

What is your star sign?
Taurus

What were you obsessed with when you were a child?
American pop music.  I would listen to the likes of Phil Collins and Bruce Springsteen in my room every night into the wee hours of the morning, drawing and sketching and dreaming of going to America to be an artist.

What do you value most in a friendship?
Authenticity

What’s your proudest moment?
When I swallowed my pride and I asked for my job back… after quitting 10 years earlier. Luckily, I also knew they really needed me — hahaha

What’s the best part of your job?
The constant challenge of custom evening, and the fine line between making a product that women want –– regardless of what I prefer to create – and together with my client, coming up with that perfect dress that fits her style, body, and allows her to confidently express herself!

What’s your biggest fear?
Women not wearing evening gowns anymore!

What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
My grandmother’s “pâtes au beurre”

What’s next for you in your career?
Slowly but steadily, I am working on broadening the visibility of our very niche custom brand,  without spreading  ourselves too thin.  We are also deepening our philanthropic efforts and collaboration with the American Cancer Society.  Playing a leadership role in fashion and the fight against cancer are both very important for me personally.

What’s the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
The anecdote can’t really be recounted properly:
My Mother and I were standing in silence in front of a store window in Paris looking at the clothing being displayed when, all of a sudden, at the exact same time, under our breath, we blurt out: ‘horrible’.  Just a fantastic mother-son moment.

Who or what in your life brings you the most joy?
My husband Roger, my cats Freddie and Charlie, and spending time in my garden in Morocco.

How do you spend your day, or what does an ordinary day look like for you?
I am in the studio every day, keeping the sample room rotation going.

What approach would you take differently if you had to build a business from scratch today?
Assuming I have more time, like 6 months to prepare, for a new collection? LOL. I would allocate A TON of time on market research for the product I love to do.

What is your favorite quote of all time, and why?
“Scheherazade is easy; a little black dress is difficult.”  quote by Coco Chanel .
It applies to so many elements around us today and not just fashion.
It perfectly sums the progression of my career —  Landing in New York, a boy obsessed with creating ostentatious designs – and now, over 20 years later, a man finding pleasure in simplifying all my designs to their core in order to reveal the essential mark of sophistication, and avoiding trends at all cost.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?
My work is my life, my passion.

What is the best advice someone ever gave you?
I arrived in New York in 1999
I didn’t understand American fashion or how someone could want to design for American brands. All I wanted to do was European style couture and create beautiful shows and make people dream. American couture and European couture were vastly different. I had to adapt very quickly. One may not develop the deepest relationships in New York, but it is easier to get your foot through the door here than it is in Europe. But once you do,  the rest is up to you.  It’s about hard work, perseverance, staying the course, believing in yourself and having a great team with you.

 What is the best advice someone ever gave you?
Keep your head down and don’t get distracted by all the noise.

Who inspires you the most and why?
Early Galliano for Dior, McQueen for Givenchy.
The whole era was about beauty, fun, There was such a mystique around the Fashion world.  I think things were done correctly in those days. I was also deeply inspired by the darkness of Mugler 1997-98; the jovial freshness of Ines de la Fressange at Chanel;  Catroux’s rock’n roll personality against de la Falaise aristocratic heritage, both working together at Yves Saint Laurent, pretty cool clash. I am very attracted to the darkness or the light that people bring. Either way, I am attracted to visual stimulation, a story, a moment…

What’s the next thing you’re going to do in life?
Try to take better care of myself, let my team do their job and stop micromanaging. It’s scary to let go a bit, but it feels pretty good!