On Tuesday Manhattan seemed to be overrun by the Frenchies. Newly-appointed Lacoste creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista was in town to tour some stores and host an intimate dinner with a few of the fashion folk, but across town, at Barneys New York, Guillaume Henry was stationed on the women’s Co-op floor mugging for photos with Alexa Chung. Henry, who was tasked with re-launching the iconic couture house Carven as a youthful contemporary ready-to-wear label, was in good spirits, surrounded by his chic and sleek (but with a twist) designs. Couture Snob sat down with the 32-year-old and had a chat.
“When I first started working in the fashion industry I didn’t feel like a proper designer; I felt more like a student that needed to look at other people’s work. I was, I suppose, more part of a team. All those experiences gave me knowledge. The three years at Givenchy I enjoyed because it was a true laboratory. It was all about making new, sensational things and great events. After three years I had the envy to be connected with a more proper wardrobe than trends at Paule Ka. At the end of those two great experiences I felt what I wanted to do was something right in the middle; not so high in terms of trends [a la Givenchy] but…we’re all about contradiction at Carven: a mix between rich and poor, teenage and mature woman, ladylike but in a cool way. I like when all those words fight together. I learned two different visions of fashion that can work together.”
Q: So who is the modern day Carven woman? Does she have a face?
“She’s the woman who wakes up early in the morning, has kids, has work, but doesn’t have two hours to prep. She wants to look effortless and elegant and keep the same dress from early morning to evening. The good thing with Carven is we can dress many kinds of girls in terms of age or body from Rihanna to [the French actress] Isabelle Huppert. But I do adore Alexa Chung; I find her super elegant and you have the feeling that she doesn’t pretend to play someone other than the girl she is.”
Q: How do you respect the legacy Madame Carmen de Tommaso left behind but make it fresh? You seem to be forging your own path by rebranding the label as contemporary.
“I love the term ‘price friendly,’ it’s so American! My best friends are my customers and they keep telling me, ‘I love fashion but everything is super expensive’ or ‘I love fashion but everyone looks the same because we all go to the same shops.’ So the idea was to focus on something affordable in terms of price and style. Freshness is a Carven heritage; even when Madame was doing Haute Couture in the early Fifties she would focus on effortless elegance. For example, cotton dresses for the evening.”
“For me, Carven is a sleeping beauty and I want her to wake up. I don’t want to push her too much; I don’t want to destroy her or go too fast. I hope in five years Carven will be a brand people will respect, appreciate and recognize as a timeless brand. But for now, for spring, I believe every girl should own a Carven print and a pair of the shorts–you can wear them for evening!”
Q: Talk to me about accessories. They’re usually the most profitable part of any fashion house. What’s the plan at Carven?
“Well, we did one pair of shoes that I think really finish the silhouette nicely. We play with contrast a lot, which helps the girl become the girl they want. The bags are chic, too, but there aren’t too many details. They should be visual, but simple to understand. I hate it when there are too many things going on. For me, it breaks your vision. For the future, I hope a perfume will evolve as well: for me a perfume is the smell of the spirit.”
