There was a lot of feeling on the runway at Carven today. The show featured a ton of great-looking forties-inspired clothes, but the special thing was that these conjured a state of mind, a certain mix of dislocation and resolve translated into glamour that seemed right for a woman in the midst of war. Kudos to Guillaume Henry for capturing that. Now on to the clothes, bags, and shoes, which, come autumn, ought to be flying out the doors of the fast-expanding network of Carven stores. Standouts here included the belted wool jackets and coats with rolling collars, the short skirts with revealed pleats to one side, and dresses bedazzled with this way/that way crystal arrows. The soigné, long-line suits and frocks also had a lot of appeal, but the silhouette may not prove as convincing to the Carven customer as, say, a short, flared gray dress with a touch of crystal embellishment about the collarbone, or an abbreviated tweed suit with leopard-print pockets. Likewise, the graphic prints here will probably be an easier sell than the looks featuring disembodied figures collaged here and there—those, Henry explained, were an homage to Dadaists such as Blumenfeld, Picabia, and Man Ray. So far, so cool. But the killer part of this show was the footwear. Women are going to be murdering each other for the over-the-knee boots and peep-toe heels. Cadavres exquis, indeed.
