Brief
Kai Nesselrath launches youthful Carven collection at historic Paris venue
The designer drew on Carven's 1950s heritage while injecting his own tailored, sculptural aesthetic.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On October 1, 2026, Kai Nesselrath presented his first Carven runway show at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris, blending late‑1950s and early‑1960s references with a contemporary, sculptural vision.
What happened
The show opened with mini‑skirt and jacket ensembles, followed by white‑and‑green striped pajamas and workwear‑inspired pieces such as an apron dress and earrings shaped like pencil shavings. The runway invitation featured a pencil with the brand’s historic white‑and‑green stripes and a blank card for guests to sketch. The soundtrack included Anna Karina’s voice reciting a poem from Jean‑Luc Godard’s 1965 film Alphaville, which Nesselrath said resonated with today’s “darkness and AI taking over.”
What the reports add
Vogue noted that Nesselrath, who joined Carven in June after a decade at Saint Laurent and earlier stints at Chanel, emphasized precise lines and a “very sculptural” approach, citing his tailored background. He contrasted Carven’s rounded shoulders with Saint Laurent’s straight‑shouldered “power woman” aesthetic. The designer also explained his venue choice, saying he wanted continuity with the house’s recent past rather than a clean break.
What was said
“I looked at these precise lines. And I come from a very tailored background — I wanted the collection to be very sculptural — so there are a lot of these lines in it,” Nesselrath told Vogue backstage.
“I’m enjoying it so much. My best school was Saint Laurent. I met the best people there, who have been incredibly supportive,” he added.
“It’s an amazing movie. It felt so familiar to today: this darkness and AI taking over, and the only way to navigate it is through poetry and love,” he said of the Alphaville poem.
How it came about
Nesselrath succeeded Mark Thomas as Carven’s design director in June, taking over a brand that has undergone several creative‑director changes since its 2018 bankruptcy and acquisition by the Chinese ICCF Group. The venue choice echoed Thomas’s final Fall/Winter 2026 show, reinforcing a sense of ongoing evolution rather than a fresh start.
Key facts
- Kai Nesselrath presented his debut Carven collection on Oct 1, 2026 in Paris. (vogue.com)
- The show was held at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, the same venue used for the previous creative director’s final show. (vogue.com)
- Nesselrath drew inspiration from Carven’s late‑1950s/early‑1960s peak, emphasizing precise, sculptural lines. (vogue.com)
- The soundtrack featured Anna Karina reciting a poem from Godard’s film Alphaville. (vogue.com)
- Nesselrath joined Carven in June after a decade at Saint Laurent and earlier work at Chanel. (vogue.com)
Sources
- [1] vogue.com — originally reported as ““Fresh and Youthful”: First Reactions to Kai Nesselrath’s Carven Debut”
