Petit Bateau + Carven

Some combinations – like a perfectly baked Camembert and warm crusty bread – are just meant to be. Petit Bateau + Carven, the one-off capsule collection launched by luxury French fashion house, Carven, and beloved French clothing and lingerie brand, Petit Bateau, is another.

Petit Bateau’s roots lie in the town of Troyes, France, where it was founded by Pierre Valton in 1893. Taken over by Yves Rocher Group in 1988, it has long been the first port of call for many a classic mariniere or fine cotton basic.

Carven was first launched by Madame Carmen de Tomasso in 1945 when the house moved towards specialising in innovative Haute Couture, thus distancing itself from the austerity of the decade. In 2009, Guillaume Henry took over the reins and, whilst staying true to its Parisian heritage, brought the label well and truly into the spotlight. He added a cheeky, edgier element, which has since taken the house from strength to strength, cementing it as a firm favourite amongst front row regulars and fashion editors alike. Twinning innovation with classic style, Henry is developing his own, distinct formula.

This formula is applied to the range, along with the fine quality cotton and timeless wearability of Petit Bateau, resulting in a thoroughly covetable collection. Dresses synonymous with the Carven name, such as its form fitting, contrast-collared sheath dress, are updated with padded Petit Bateau cotton, ensuring that although these are designer pieces for a fraction of the original price, there is absolutely no compromise on the quality. The dress is available in navy and red, and in miniature form for the little cherubs.

A treat for the grown-ups is the structured, navy, long-sleeved dress made of thick cotton, punctuated with a subtle thigh slit and pocket details, to be worn with or without its matching cardigan counterpart. Simple cotton bib-collars are ready to adorn any t-shirt or jumper and the versatile Petit Bateau Breton stripe is given the Carven treatment and transformed into a thinly striped body with small, pointed collar.

As well as pieces for women and children, there is also an offering for men, including the sea-green and navy polo shirts, so there should be something to keep everyone happy.

Beautiful, simple fashion with a ‘less is more’ mentality: this is a style the French do best, particularly when these two brands put their heads together.

The collection is available to buy now in Selfridges, London, or online at petit-bateau.co.uk.