CARVED OUT?: Does Carven have its eye on Kai Raffael Nesselrath, a seasoned designer in the Saint Laurent studio?

According to market sources, Nesselrath is poised to join the Paris-based fashion house, which recently parted ways with its design director Mark Thomas.

Nesselrath has logged nearly a decade at Saint Laurent, joining as junior designer, womenswear show, and ultimately rising through the ranks to become a head designer in September 2024, his LinkedIn profile details.

The Italian-born designer, who studied at Polimoda and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, spent seven months at Chanel before joining Saint Laurent in 2016.

He could not be reached for comment and Carven did not immediately return WWD’s request for comment.

Owned by ICCF Group, the Shanghai and Paris-based fashion company that also owns Icicle, Carven has indicated that its next Paris show will be for the spring 2027 season, and it noted last week that the next steps of the house would be revealed “in due course.”

Over the years Carven has changed hands several times and seen a succession of creative leaders, among them Guillaume Henry, who repositioned it as a contemporary brand. Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud came next as artistic directors for the women’s collections, and Barnabé Hardy for men’s.

More recently, Serge Ruffieux, Louise Trotter and Thomas, who logged a one-year stint, have led the design effort.

The doyenne of a generation that included Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, Marie-Louise Carven-Grog, born Carmen de Tommaso, launched her house in 1945, making her one of the rare female couturiers in Paris after Elsa Schiaparelli and Gabrielle Chanel.

By introducing comfort and freedom into the rarefied world of haute couture, her creations captured the insouciance of the post-World War II era in Paris, garnering a following among stars such as Leslie Caron, Édith Piaf and Michèle Morgan.