Carven

When French designer Carmen de Tomasso established the label Carven in 1945 in post-war Paris, she revolutionized the fashion industry. As a five-foot-one petite French woman, she noticed a lack of clothing for women her size, and so Carven was born. Madame Carven is credited with democratizing fashion by being among the first couturiers to develop a ready-to-wear line and make high fashion more accessible to the ordinary person. Known for modern fabrics like cotton gingham and broderie anglaise and exotic textiles like African wax cloth and Indonesian batik, the brand produced bold clothing in classic silhouettes. A period of obscurity followed Madame Carven’s retirement, until 2009, when newly appointed creative director Guillaume Henry revitalised the brand. Catering to a broader range of sizes, today Madame Carven’s vision is continued by creative director Serge Ruffieux. Add bold prints and Parisian elegance to your wardrobe and shop Carven clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories today.