Barnaby Hardy to leave Carven, men's line on hold

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jul 27, 2016

In May, the Carven brand was acquired by its Hong Kong and China distributor the Bluebell Group. This majority shareholder has now announced a major change in strategy, namely the temporary suspension of its men’s line.

“The label has decided to put its men's line on hold and focus on the collection for women,” said the company in a press statement. So it was only logical that Barnaby Hardy, the brand’s menswear artistic director since January 2015, would also be leaving.

The designer will leave the brand at the end of the month. His last collection was presented in June Paris in Paris during a choreographed runway show that featured a more sports-inspired look.

The accessible luxury brand launched its men's line in 2011 under the previous artistic director, Guillaume Henry, during a special event at Pitti Uomo.

“The creative input of Barnaby Hardy has contributed to the line’s success," the statement said. But this should not hold back the label, currently led by Sophie de Rougemont, from changing its course.

The question is whether the new majority shareholder wants to clean house, cut costs and scale back investments in a difficult time for the luxury market? No additional details were disclosed about the new Carven strategy, besides the notion that it will now focus on women’s ready-to-wear and accessories.