Just when it seemed that Carven had finally found its perfect leading man, news broke in April that Mark Thomas would be leaving the brand. Although the British designer’s winter 2026 runway show marked his final outing for the maison, the pre-collection has only just been released – and it is yet another reminder that the brand’s owners made a mistake in parting ways with such a talent.
Thomas served as Louise Trotter’s right hand while she was reviving Carven from its slumber before departing for Bottega Veneta, yet his solo collections – distilled to perfect forms and lines, focused on chic classics that required no excessive styling, and unmistakably Parisian without ever slipping into cliché – represent some of the finest moments in the brand’s recent history. The pre-fall 2026 offering is now landing in stores, and this is your last chance to catch Mark’s jackets and coats, evolving from rounded shapes into sharper, more masculine double-breasted constructions. They form a sublime dialogue with lighter silhouettes built around delicate, ladylike convergences of organza and lace. Pieces rendered in crisp cedarwood brown, paired with leather skirts and fluffy shearling, conjure the image of a quintessential Carven madame, and one can easily imagine the many chic scenarios she inhabits.
To put it simply, this untimely separation arrived just as the brand seemed on the verge of discovering its contemporary rhythm.
ED’s SELECTION:
CARVEN Scarf-detailed Crepe Midi Dress
CARVEN Layered Cotton-gauze Gown
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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