Marie-Louise Grog-Carven, known as Madame Carven, has passed away at the age of 105. Madame Carven launched the French fashion house Carven in 1945, originally to cater to petite women like herself, producing youthful, sporty but elegant designs.
A pioneer of fashion marketing, Madame Carven was one of the first designers to present her collections around the world, showing in locations including Cuba and Singapore, and is also known for creating a series of clever promotional stunts. Carven created a collection inspired by Gone With The Wind to coincide with the film’s French release in 1950, touring the country with her designs on display in cinemas; and she attached samples of her perfume Ma Griffe to mini parachutes, releasing them across Paris to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the city’s liberation. She even patented one of the very first push-up bra designs.
Carven the fashion house was relaunched in 2009 with French designer Guillaume Henry (now at Nina Ricci) as creative director, relinquishing its membership of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to focus on youthful ready-to-wear. Design duo Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud took the reins last year, presenting their first collection of neat tailored shirts and miniskirts for autumn/winter 15.
Credits
Photography Piczo