The Carven Pre Fall 2018 collection designed by Creative Director Serge Ruffieux is an eclectic and uncompromising evolution of his runway debut, building on the traveller’s spirit of the Carven girl in the great outdoors. Playing dress-up, she mixes and matches keystone pieces from the Carven wardrobe, layering rustic prints, patterns, textures and shapes into fresh silhouettes for new gestures with a hint of nostalgia.

An atonal colour palette is grounded in black and inky blue with deep forest shades, warming through fiery sunset hues to peachy neutrals. Twisting the conventions of workwear and sports uniforms with new proportions, polo tops are reimagined in ornate knitwear and striped rugby jerseys cinch with a peplum waist.

Hybrid men’s garments transform archetypal outerwear into new feminine shapes that flare and cocoon from behind. Quilting details are panelled through felt wool cabans, anoraks and waxed cotton forest jackets, creating poncho and trapeze shapes worn over pooling trousers, mid-calf pleated skirts, kilts, and long plastron shirts.

Demure floating dresses are finished with inverted raw edges and bright contrast piping for an artisanal touch. Infusing a sense of the Carven girl’s obsessions, an array of naïve prints and silk swatch embroideries soften the collection’s utilitarian spirit, as ikat and batik swirls meet geometric patchworks, whilst figurative Latin portrait masks and llama medallions clash with candy stripes and chunky knitwear.

Continuing the concept of ornate footwear, the season’s flat moccasins, sneakers, and sock boots all borrow from a myriad of traditional decorative elements infused with trekking hardware in calfskin, shearling, pony hair, neoprene and quilting fabrics. Eyelets, studs, tassels and fringing unite with alpine lacing, zippers, and buckle hardware to create unexpected and elaborate combinations.

Returning in seasonal colourways, the Carven ‘Twin’ double-sided saddle bag is crafted in calfskin, suede and corduroy with an alpine rope and fob clasp, worn with either a slim belt or wide interchangeable strap. A drawstring barrel bag and matching 24hr bag feature canvas panelling, quilting and contrast tassel details, and the double shopper tote pairs rigid calfskin with a supple fabric pocket in the season’s bohemian flora and fauna prints and colour-blocked moiré jacquard.

The Carven Pre Fall 2018 jewellery collection reprises the gold and verdigris finish, with creeping vine leaf earrings and articulated bracelet shapes, whilst hoop earrings feature Spring constructions and baroque pearl embellishments.