Carven names Serge Ruffieux as creative director

Carven has today revealed Serge Ruffieux as its new creative director, replacing Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud who left the French house in the autumn.

Ruffieux had previously been at Christian Dior where he was head designer of the women's ready-to-wear and haute couture studios, and from 2015 and 2016 he held the joint artistic director role with Lucie Meier while the house sought a replacement for Raf Simons. Maria Grazia Chiuri, formerly of Valentino, took over at Dior in July last year.

The Bluebell Group, a Hong Kong-based company that distributes fashion, fragrance, food and home brands throughout Asia, took a majority stake in Carven in May last year.

Shortly after Bluebell placed Carven's menswear line on ice leading to the departure of chief men's designer Barnabé Hardy and Martial and Caillaudaud, who had been joint artistic directors for womenswear, left in the autumn having only joined the business in March 2015.

The house had originally been founded by Marie Louise Carven in 1945; she passed away in 2015 aged 105. "I am thrilled to embrace my new creative role at Carven, feeling a real affinity for Madame Carven and her vision of fashion," said Ruffieux. "I look forward and am very honored to be leading the creative direction of the house as it enters a new chapter."

Swiss-born Ruffieux's CV also includes stints at Sonia Rykiel and Moschino.