Carven Resort 2013

My Personal Photo

I had the honour of attending Carven’s Resort presentation last Tuesday. Those who follow this blog know that Carven is one of my favorite revivals. The dresses, coats and separates are always precise. The fabrics and quality are impeccable. As I chatted with the lovely KCD PR Executive Brie about Carven’s legacy, we agreed that the quality, craftsmanship and execution are rooted in the house’s couture heritage. 

Guillaume Henry’s ability to contrast modernity with heritage is at the forefront of what continues to draw me to Carven. Each collection features contrast and tension, whether it’s between modernity and heritage, the masculine and feminine, the playful and the intellectual or quotidian and spontaneity. 

On a gray, dreary, day (it was pouring, hot and humid) I couldn’t think of a more uplifting collection to view. The Summer 2013 “introduction” collection has the fresh, fun, coquettish spirit that I’ve come to expect. Upon entering the Meatpacking District presentation, I was instantly transported into an English Garden with bouquets of gorgeous flowers and models lounging on park chairs and perched on ladders. The inspiration was girls having tea or a picnic in the garden. These are clothes that I would wear to grab take away at Poilâne with the gentleman for a courtyard picnic.

My Personal Photo

The inspiration was Peter Schlesinger’s classic “A Chequered Past” (a wonderful photography book to get your hands on) which captures the allure and energy of London and all of its’ famous inhabitants in the late 1960s and early 1970s. You can imagine that the stylish women photographed in Schlesinger’s tome- Marisa Berenson, Jane Birkin, Marianne Faithful, Bianca Jagger and Paloma Picasso are the fabulous guests invited to the gathering. The Carven girl is very much still Parisian, but on holiday and being influenced by her travels. The beautiful prints and use of cashmere and silks spoke to this. 

The collection’s colors captures a true sense of optimism. It’s hard not to feel cheery in sorbet colors- pale limoncello yellow, mint green, blues, and persimmon (the gamine suit and little cocktail dress in persimmon were two of my favorites). To me, the strength of the collection is its ability to balances the things I’ve come to expect- gorgeous silhouettes (that are easy to wear), the dress with collar, the gamine suit, statement coats and jackets (they’re all quite cute), while presenting new silhouettes and proportions. Resort’s wide-leg silk pants (inspired by the girl's journey to India) and bohemian influence was a fresh take on silhouettes and proportion. 

Guillaume Henry knows his girl- she’s intellectual, but a bit mischievous. The eveningwear exemplifies the inherent sense of whimsy. She doesn’t take fashion too seriously. Each season, I admire how the hair and makeup compliments the clothing- loosely tousled hair or a casual bun, clean face, a bitten lip… This season was no different. 

*Complete collection here