It's a bit surreal to hear a designer who has dressed a bevy of Hollywood A-listers for the Oscars, Golden Globes and movie premiere red carpets, as well as had his designs applauded by the fashion industry's most elite critics, fret over the prospect of designing a new gown for a bubbly 10-year-old whose favorite color is bubble gum pink.

"What if she doesn't like it?" Carmen Marc Valvo mused as he sat at a table in Plaza Frontenac's Neiman Marcus just a few feet from racks of his urban safari-inspired spring collection.

He seemed genuinely concerned.

The subject he's considering making a dress for is Gracie Gibson of De Soto, the poster child of Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis, which helps youths with physical and mental disabilities.

Valvo will be the headline designer for a fashion show to benefit the charity in April during Variety Week 2010.

Someone at the event mentioned the prospect of Valvo dressing Gracie for the occasion, even though he doesn't normally design for children. It seemed like a cute idea, and Valvo smiled at the suggestion but later worried about the reality.

"I design special occasion wear that's really designed to wear as a celebration of life," Valvo said. "But I don't want to design something that someone feels they have to wear or else it will hurt my feelings or they think it will embarrass me."

He said that the concept goes against everything he believes in.

Valvo started absently designing in his head, he mumbled something about maybe a T-shirt style dress that's comfortable with stripes, but there would have to be some sparkle or maybe something in pink and green but comfortable to sit in and then his voice trailed off. He looked up and you could tell he was trying not to fret.

He explained that he agreed instantly to participate in Variety's show once he heard about the organization's work. He noted that the group also celebrates life, by helping the children reach their full potential. Variety raises about $3 million annually to offer local families equipment to help with mobility and recreational programs. The goal is to offer children with disabilities, such as spina bifida, autism and cerebral palsy, as much independence as possible.

Valvo said that the last thing that he'd want to do is take away that independence of getting dressed in something you love for a party.

Something tells us that he's worrying for naught.

Still, it's an interesting notion that you can have all the accolades of a successful fashion career and still fear the brutal assessment of a 10-year-old with "Gracie Loves Elvis" embroidered on the back of her wheelchair.

It's probably a good fashion survival rule.

Everyone needs a wake-up call every now and again, he said. We say we want honesty, but really we seek platitudes.

That's dangerous for designers and for shoppers. Dressing up should be fun, not routine.

Valvo, who is working on a book deal about breaking fashion myths and shaking out of convention, said that we no longer live in an age of wasteful spending, but we remain a nation of shoppers. That means people are going to be more thoughtful about what they spend.

He confidently asserts that buying one special dress for one special night is never a waste, if you buy the right dress.

So will Gracie wear a Valvo original for her special night? It's possible.

But Valvo said that he was more concerned about the girl inside the dress than the label.

For more information about Variety and its events during Variety Week, go to varietystl.org.