CARVEN SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – PARIS FASHION WEEK

Past, present and future all play on the new interpretation of the Carven codes established season after season by Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud. The house’s archives serve as the basis for their urban, contemporary vision.

This season, their heroine is Madame Carven’s imaginary heiress, a girl of the moment who invites her gang to spend the weekend at the family castle. Trawling through the attics and cupboards, they discover the great designer’s personal archive and help themselves to their favourite pieces, transforming and even cutting into them to suit their own style.

Elements of the house’s history such as stripes or scarves and crests collide with a street-savvy elegance in a light and playful game of layering.

Looks mix heritage with pure creativity in a melting pot of fabrics and symbols. The lace from a veil is reworked as a crested sweatshirt, a scarf is draped around the body to become a top or a skirt. Madame Carven’s trademark florals turn over a new leaf and look to the future for a mechanical reinterpretation. A choker necklace goes for the twist, worn as a bracelet or a belt. As in previous collections, belting plays a key role, clasping together fluid dresses and tops.

High-waisted skirts, trousers with multi-pocket detail, oversized tops and bomber jackets reaffirm their role as the key pieces of the Carven wardrobe, worn alone or as part of a game of layers and contrasts. A delicate baby doll dress becomes a crisp poplin shirt in one of many examples of hybrid shapes and details. Fabrics and colours also opt for a game of contrasts, as 60s inspired wool piqué and chintz mix with brighter jacquards, or flashes of red, lilac or orange against classic black and white.

Accessories also confront styles and eras. A wide heel brings allows jewelled or strapped sandals to step into a more modern stance, while the Full Joy bag is worked in a wide variety of shades and fabrics cherry- picked from the collection. The family treasure trove also provides a signet ring and chain bracelet, reworked into a variety of ornements, reflecting the sense of happy harmony between styles and eras.