On March 8, French fashion brand Carven announced the appointment of Mark Thomas as its new design director. Having previously supported the brand’s creative direction as a senior designer, Thomas will now take the lead in shaping Carven’s future designs. His appointment is expected to ensure continuity while also bringing new evolution to the brand’s aesthetic.
Emphasizing Continuity Through Internal Promotion
In 2023, Carven welcomed Louise Trotter as creative director, initiating a restructuring phase for the brand. Despite her short tenure of just three seasons, the designs crafted by Trotter and Thomas gained widespread acclaim.
Following Trotter’s departure, ICCF Group, the Chinese owner of Carven, opted for an internal promotion by appointing Thomas. This decision appears to be aimed at maintaining a consistent creative strategy while preserving the design codes established over recent seasons.
Thomas, a Central Saint Martins graduate, has had an extensive career at Givenchy and Joseph. He later served as the creative director of Helmut Lang from 2017 to 2019 before reuniting with Trotter at Lacoste and eventually joining Carven in 2023. With years of experience at leading fashion houses, how he will reinterpret and develop Carven’s vision remains a key point of interest.
AW25 Collection to Proceed as Planned
Under its new leadership, Carven will present its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection as scheduled at Paris Fashion Week. In an official statement, CEO Shawna Tao commented, “This AW25 show will focus on the essence of the house, those codes which we choose to continue in the future development. It will be a concise and focused collection to leave room for deeper exploration of these ideas next season.”
With the AW25 collection set to be unveiled this Sunday and preparations for the Spring/Summer 2026 collection already underway, Carven embarks on a new chapter of its evolution.
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