Carven Design Director Mark Thomas exits

Mark Thomas, the Design Director of the Paris fashion house Carven, will be leaving his role at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities.

In his one-year tenure, Thomas has designed two critically acclaimed collections for the house.

A Central Saint Martins graduate, Thomas joined Carven in 2023 as Head of Sartorial & Creative Collaborations and was promoted to the role of Design Director in 2024. Before joining Carven, he held positions at the likes of Givenchy, Lacoste, and Helmut Lang.

Carven has so far not announced a replacement for Thomas, but shared that next steps would be communicated in due course. A date for the brand's next show, which would be for the spring/summer 2027 season, has not yet been confirmed.

Carven commented: "Thomas’ vision and designs have helped to establish the brand’s identity and style, and have positioned Carven firmly back on the fashion stage."

"I would like to sincerely thank every person I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past few years for helping shape new chapters in this beautiful house. I am deeply grateful to Madame Shawna Tao and Mr. Ye for the opportunity they gave me, and I hold the utmost respect for Madame Carven, who founded this Maison in 1945," Thomas shared in a release.

"As I look ahead to new adventures, I wish the brand continued success and a bright future," he added.

Chinese group Icicle took full ownership of Carven in 2018, after the company had gone into liquidation. The group was founded by Ye Shouzeng and his partner, Shawna Tao.

Thomas follows in the footsteps of both Harris Reed, who recently departed from his role at Nina Ricci, and Nicolas Di Felice, who left his role as Artistic Director at Courrèges only two weeks ago.