Paris – It’s Carvan, but not as you know it.
The 78-year-old label returns to the runways on Saturday with an entirely new identity after a years-long absence.
„We intend to change the stores, the logo, everything — everything,” Carven creative director Louise Trotter told WWD in a preview.
„The vision is that I want to build this very carefully and slowly,” continued the British designer, who arrived in February as she embarks on this new chapter.
„You rarely get a chance as a creator to get a blank page,” he said. The French fashion house, owned by Icicle’s parent company ICCF Group since 2018, has been without a marquee designer for years.
Slow and steady is also how the brand plans to approach the market. „Work in progress. We look forward to seeing you in early 2024,” says the brand’s website.
Trotter’s spring 2024 collection will be available exclusively at Garvan boutiques, including its historic Paris flagship, with the aim of introducing wholesale early next year, the company said.
First things first: the clothes. Trotter approached the collection as „objective first”, which she described as „a very practical approach to considering the wardrobe of the woman I want to dress”.
„The spirit of Carven is defined by Madame Carven herself,” he continued, highlighting „hope, joy, spontaneity” as the current ethos for the brand. „[She] She wanted to create clothes that made women happy and confident.
As such, Garvan was „more about a spirit than a specific silhouette or icon,” the designer continued, although he allowed that „there was a strong focus on the waist and hips, which you can see in this collection.” tradition.
The woman plans to offer cheerful clothing that inspires confidence for „a woman on the go, a woman on the go, someone who lives an active life – a real person.”
Pragmatism is another concept that keeps returning to the conversation, which is important in Trotter’s establishment.
She wants to make Carven „a home for many women,” saying, „Focus on the clothes, focus on the woman wearing those clothes.”
Around 40 silhouettes will be created in this first chapter, „a complete wardrobe where women can wear everything from a T-shirt to an evening dress”.
Subtle nods to house codes can also be expected, although there will be minor reminders. Trotter was not one for that, and neither was Madame Garvan. „[She] She was a woman of her time. She was not nostalgic. She was a woman to look forward to.
Jewelry will be a strong element of this new chapter, which will „go directly into our past, because Carven has a rich history in incredible jewelry, so there’s a sense of history,” said the designer.
Footwear and accessories complete the caravan look with a trotter. „What I’m trying to do is work [toward] A shadow, a woman, a feeling,” he said. „I make my world.”