In case you were wondering what Guillaume Henry has planned for the newly relaunched Carven fashion brand this summer, I can tell you that it starts with "P" as in "Pop-Up". The young French designer whom influential Parisian retailer Maria-Luisa Pomaillou recently identified as one of five young designers to watch, launched last night amidst the Jardins du Palais Royale a pop-up store. His host for the summer will be none other than Didier Ludot, the éminence grise of Parisian haute couture.
I must admit, when I first heard of the arrangement with Didier Ludot, I found it just a tad strange. You may recall that I interviewed Gauillaume back in April. During that interview, he made it very clear that Carven had no interest in reviving its haute couture division and that the intent was to focus exclusively on ready-to-wear. Why then, I asked him, would he want to muddy the waters by setting up shop (albeit temporarily) in the boutique of a man whose name has become practically synonymous with haute couture creations of bygone eras?
For Guillaume, the answer is simple. While Carven may no longer be turning out haute couture confections as in the day of the brand's founder, Carmen de Tommaso, Guillaume is keen to retain those small details that relate back to the brand's illustrious couture past in his own pret-a-porter confections. From Carven's perspective, setting up a pop-up shop in collaboration with Didier Ludot was a way to reinforce the connection between the brand's past and its present. Already, Guillaume strives to infuse his own designs for Carven with all manner of small details borrowed from Madame de Tommaso's archives - the draping, high waists and elements of corseterie for instance that she favored. For him, it's a way of honoring the brand's past while playing on the notion of accessibility, one of the hallmarks of Madame de Tommaso's legacy.
In more practical terms, this summer pop-up boutique is also a way for the brand to present its own vision in a space dedicated exclusively to it without having to compete for attention with other brands as is invariably the case in most multi-brand retailers. Currently, Carven is carried by a number of retailers including Colette, Le Bon Marche, Le Printemps and online at Net-A-Porter but has not yet opened its own shop (although that may be happening soon ... shhhhh!). The pop-up is an effective way to connect with customers in an environment over which Carven has a greater degree of control to present the brand's aesthetic.
The Carven summer pop-up store opens today July 6 and will continue throughout the summer until August 31. To commemorate the occasion, an updated version of a dress designed by Madame Carven in 1956 (see image below) has been reedited and tweaked for the 21st century (see image above) and will be on sale exclusively at the pop-up store located at 20-24 Galerie de Montpensier. If you happen to be in Paris this summer, don't miss the opportunity to discover this chic, affordable source of Parisian elegance. You'll thank me for it.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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