Mark Thomas, creative director of the Parisian fashion house Carven since March 2025, is already stepping down from his role. The British designer had stepped in at the last minute to replace Louise Trotter following her departure for Bottega Veneta.
The rotation of designers shows no signs of slowing down. Following high-profile changes in recent weeks at Nina Ricci and then at the “Le Corbusier of fashion,” Courrèges, it is now the turn of another major name in the Parisian fashion scene to renew its creative leadership: Carven.
A member of the French Federation of Haute Couture, the House, founded in 1945, has been a subsidiary of the Chinese group Icicle since October 2018.
Arriving in 2023 as Louise Trotter’s right-hand man, Mark Thomas had been one of the architects of the House’s renaissance with a style that was at once minimalist, sophisticated, and wearable. The British designer, who also left a year after her appointment, had promoted Mark Thomas to creative director in 2025. Today, the British designer’s departure is officially attributed to his desire to “devote himself to other projects”.
A Turbulent History
Over 81 years of existence, the Carven House has faced numerous ups and downs, with its successive takeovers and a particularly high turnover of designers.
Founded shortly after World War II by Marie-Louise Carmen de Tommaso, she remainedat the helm of the fashion house until 1993 before seeing ownership pass from hand to hand among no fewer than five owners (including Bluebell, Henri Sebaoun, and Turenne Investissement).
On the creative front, the atmosphere is even more tumultuous, with10 designers in the span of 30 years!
A graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins and a seasoned designer who cut his teeth on the creative design team atLacoste, Mark Thomas is the latest casualty of a House that is still searching for its identity. Yet his two runway shows had been a resounding success.
Unless the internal promotion decided upon after Louise Trotter’s departure in 2025 has thwarted the casting vision of the parent company…
Read more > Nicolas Di Felice leaves Courrèges
Featured photo: © Carven
