PARIS, Jul 4, 2007/ FW/ --- Pascal Millet has been showing much passion for Carven since he has taken the creative helm in may 2001. After the Carven identity has been much diluted in various licences throughout the world, Pascal Millet has, through thick and thin, after seasons where Carven was discreetly showing in the off calendar of haute couture, through various managements and owners, succeeded in presenting a couture collection on a runway show again and as an official guest. Especially after last season’s presentation on mannequins, it has been a pleasure to witness that the house’s new owners allowed him to show on a real catwalk at no less venue than the Ritz.

More financial investments then for Carven this season, which Pascal Millet has used mostly in sheer fabrics, sometimes underlined by natural furs of mink, racoon or fox for a cosy winter boasting “silhouettes inspired by the 1920’s and the French music composer Erik Satie”.

The designer’s work on suits is classic, like the opening number consisting in a dress and jacket in mink wool and duchesse satin or in the pants suit in black wool worn with a blouse of matching satin chiffon.

Carven’s hemlines on cocktail dresses for the season often stop just over the knee as, for instance, in a pale powder pink dress in silk satin embroidered with silver. The hemline sometimes becomes more ample and longer on the back to create a cape effect or short train, for instance on an original tunic of pearl grey worn over ample trousers of silk crepe.

As for the evening dresses, Pascal Millet seems to choose first the best materials to build his garments according to the nature of the fabric. It does seem to be the case for instance in the silver velvet he has used in a tunic or in a bustier dress of black organza satin worn under a cardigan of embroidered lace.

The best silk makers were honoured in the audience as for instance Mrs. Susy Gandini, of Gandini Tessuti or Mr. Michele Canepa, of Taroni, to name but a few prestigious attending Italian fabric makers, who were all sitting front row.

Anyway, and although the work of Pascal Millet certainly raises admiration for the courage he is relentlessly and consistently putting in reviving the house of Carven, one would have expected more creativity from the designer, especially at this turning point in the history of haute couture. If no one could hardly reproach this collection to reveal only one very discreet hint of green -the house’s fetish colour- Pascal Millet could nevertheless easily be judged responsible for not replacing or complementing the house’s codes with a really new design statement.

The couturier’s proposal of a collection could at least have been based on a stronger vision of garment construction, especially when he was interpreting a theme ample enough to easily include any outfit.

As the Creative Director at Carven for now over six years, Pascal Millet should be able to propose a stronger vision of the brand. He is certainly enjoying the seamstresses’ craftsmanship and the alliance of technicality and tradition he finds in the best fabrics paired with couture’s fine finishings. But the result presented today looked slightly outdated and the proportions in the garments seemed too often obsolete or at least not sufficiently pertinent to conquer a new clientele: at this level, couture customers might still expect more, much more.