CARVEN

For Winter 2016, Barnabé Hardy wraps the Carven man in a warm and comforting collection, mixing a hint of nostalgia with a playful spirit. The late-70s, early-80s era inspires rather than influences, bringing a relaxed, loose fit as well as references to fabrics (terry, crazed nylon, corduroy) and techniques (flocking, embroidery, weaving). This is a light-hearted wardrobe inviting to a game of mix and match according to mood and occasion.

 

Knits and soft woolens play a key role, whether a funnel-neck, military-inspired sweater or a revisited duffle coat in textured tartan.

 

 

Knit ribbing edges a bomber jackets or a windbreaker to bring warmth to a more structured fabric.

 

 

Parkas and blousons play with a padded effect, while the rounded lines of coats suggest a feeling of well-being underlined by a pared-down, lightened silhouette.

 

 

Wide trousers fall on white leather logo sneakers, an ankle boot with bright stitching, or the hybrid sports shoe which is now a new Carven classic, worked this season in shearling or in a multicolored version.

 

 

Sweatshirts, shirts and knits enter into the world of op art, shaking up preconceptions about print and motif. Classic spotted cotton reveals at a closer glance a Carven logo broken into letters, which are also reconnected as a game of join-the-dots or a magic puzzle made up of paper clips.

 

 

A camouflage print could just as well represent a map of the constellations of a floral print. Skateboarding brings a sense of energy to a line drawing running across a padded shirt collar, flocked denim or a print parka.

 

 

The familiar softness of traditional masculine fabrics such as Donegal tweed or wool suiting is shaken up with the lightness of technical fabrics, just as the range of winter colors (grey, navy, khaki) is brightened with hits of blood orange, fluorescent green or ruby red.

 

 

Invitingly soft scarves, leg warmers and ribbed gloves add the final touches to a collection that highlights the pleasure of a well-conceived seasonal garment as well as the quintessential Carven style, a mix of elegance and discreet light-heartedness.