The fashion world loves to revive it’s old, nearly forgotten fashion houses from the dead, and the newest one to attract the attention of fashion bible, Vogue, has an interesting history. It began as a PETITE haute couture fashion house in Paris! Yes…PETITE!
Fashion houses in the 1940′s and 1950′s catered mostly to older women (oh, how the tides have turned). Madame Carven, at the ripe age of 25, was frustrated with the lack of clothing offered for young women, and started the House of Carven. What makes all this even more fascinating is at 5’1″, Madame Carven not only set out to make clothes for young women…she set out to make clothes for petite young women.
I felt that I was small, and the contemporary taste for tall mannequins combined with my own admiration for Hollywood stars ended up giving me a complex. At the age of 25 I was a coquette. France was learning to dance again after the war and I wanted to be slinky. This desire to be attractive inspired a few reflections. First I noticed that I wasn’t the only petite woman I knew, and that the grand couturiers weren’t very interested in us. But I had a feeling for proportion and volume. All that remained for me to do was to create, with the help of friends who were scarcely taller than I was, dresses that would allow us to be ourselves. I’d found an opening where there was no competition and a moment when Paris was overflowing with happiness.
Madame Carven designed for her fashion house until 1993, at the age of 84. Her label fell into obscurity, and now, not many women are have heard of the once famous brand.
A new designer has been tapped to revive the brand in recent years, and Carven is starting to make headlines again. The youthful spirit of the original designs are being refreshed for a new generation, but unfortunately, no mention of reviving petite sizes.
I would be thrilled if a high-end fashion house started producing petite sizes, and I like to think I would even splurge and buy an item or two. At this point in my life, I certainly can’t afford a high-end designer wardrobe, but I would love the option to buy a few special pieces in petite proportions that would hopefully not need invasive alterations.
A girl can dream…
Is there a retail market for high-end designer petite sizes? Would you splurge on high-end designer items if they came in petites?
More reading on Madame Carven:
Carven – Fashion Encyclopedia
Madame Carven: A Very Parisian Designer – Suite 101
Madame Carven, petite women’s designer, turns 100 – AFP
Carven – Answers 101
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