Carven has appointed Mark Thomas as director of design, the house confirmed today. The house, owned by China’s ICCF Group, chose to promote from within after Louise Trotter exited in January to take the creative helm of Bottega Veneta. Thomas joined Carven in 2023 as senior designer.
In just three seasons at Carven, Trotter, with Thomas as her second-in-command, managed to inject new energy into the house. “It feels sophisticated and chic, wearable, and I am sure it will sell in the stores,” fashion consultant Julie Gilhart said after Trotter’s debut show at Carven.
Thomas, who graduated from Central Saint Martins, is a seasoned designer. His resumé includes stints at Givenchy, Joseph, where he was head of menswear under the creative stewardship of Trotter and Helmut Lang as creative director from 2017 to 2019 before reuniting with Trotter at Lacoste before heading to Carven.
In December, Shawna Tao, CEO of Carven, said in a statement that the Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, which had been slated for Paris Fashion Week in March, would go ahead “as planned”. “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,” the statement read. The collection will be revealed this Sunday. Carven’s next Paris show will be for Spring/Summer 2026, according to the release.
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