Carven, founded in 1945 by a couturier 1.55 metres tall who dressed petite women and parachuted her perfume over Paris
Carven was founded in 1945 by Marie-Louise Carven, born Carmen de Tommaso, who stood 1.55 metres and opened her house on the Champs-Élysées to dress petite women, because in her words she was too short to wear the creations of the top couturiers. In 1946 she launched her first perfume by parachuting hundreds of sample bottles over Paris. She retired in 1993 at 84, died in June 2015 at 105, and was named Righteous Among the Nations in 2000 for hiding a Jewish employee during the war.
The house is owned by China's ICCF Group and has been in a revival since 2023; Louise Trotter designed it before Bottega Veneta (@bottegaveneta), and Mark Thomas left in April. Kai Nesselrath, named design director in June after almost ten years at Saint Laurent (@ysl), shows his first Carven collection on Thursday 1 October at 12:30.
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The post, as it ran
01CARVEN WAS FOUNDED IN 1945 BY A WOMAN 1.55 METRES TALL WHO COULD NOT WEAR OTHER COUTURIERS' CLOTHES. ON THURSDAY A NEW DESIGN DIRECTOR SHOWS HIS FIRST COLLECTION.
02MARIE-LOUISE CARVEN, BORN CARMEN DE TOMMASO, OPENED ON THE CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES AND CUT FOR PETITE WOMEN, BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO SHORT TO WEAR THE TOP COUTURIERS' CREATIONS.
03IN 1946 SHE LAUNCHED HER FIRST PERFUME BY PARACHUTING HUNDREDS OF SAMPLE BOTTLES OVER PARIS.
04SHE RETIRED IN 1993, AGED 84, AND DIED IN JUNE 2015, AGED 105. IN 2000 YAD VASHEM NAMED HER RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS FOR HIDING A JEWISH EMPLOYEE.
05THE HOUSE NOW BELONGS TO CHINA'S ICCF GROUP AND HAS BEEN IN A REVIVAL SINCE 2023. LOUISE TROTTER DESIGNED IT BEFORE BOTTEGA VENETA; MARK THOMAS LEFT IN APRIL.
06KAI NESSELRATH, NAMED DESIGN DIRECTOR IN JUNE AFTER ALMOST TEN YEARS AT SAINT LAURENT, SHOWS HIS FIRST CARVEN COLLECTION ON THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 12:30.