“Fresh and Youthful”: First Reactions to Kai Nesselrath’s Carven Debut

But how does Nesselrath feel about being at the creative helm of a house? “ I’m enjoying it so much,” he said. “My best school was Saint Laurent. I met the best people there, who have been incredibly supportive. So I felt really sure about taking the job.”

Carven’s DNA is very different from Saint Laurent. “Saint Laurent is this power woman, think straight shoulders. Marie-Louise Carven [who founded Carvenin 1945] is much more real — here, the shoulders are round,” he explained.

Photo: Vogue Runway

The show invitation consisted of a pencil with white and green stripes — an historic brand code — as well as a white card with space for you to sketch. Meanwhile, the venue marked a return to Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, where Thomas staged his final show for Carven during Fall/Winter 2026. “I wanted to feel a bit of continuity to it. I didn’t want it to be like, ‘I’m arriving and everything’s going to start from scratch,’” Nesselrath said. “The space is beautiful, but I wanted a feeling of work in progress, almost like scaffolding.”

The collection itself had a youthful energy that felt like a reflection of Nesselrath, who, in his early 30s, could easily pass for someone a decade younger. Highlights included the mini skirt and jacket ensembles that opened the show, the white and green striped pajamas, and the workwear-inspired pieces such as the apron dress or the pencil shaving-shaped earrings.