For his Carven debut, new design director Kai Nesselrath wanted to keep it real.

After all, his lodestar is Madame Carven herself, a woman who wanted to dress herself and others in handsome polished fare — and built a legendary career on that premise.

It’s too soon to predict how things will pan out for her successor in that respect, but on Thursday morning he offered a limpid opening play of lightweight silhouettes in airy geometric cuts softened by luscious textiles.

Tying back to the founder’s hands-on spirit and the early references that shaped her brand, he trotted out neat ensembles riffing on her late-1950s and early-1960s wardrobe: clean geometric cuts and hemlines high on the thigh.

That soon morphed into thoroughly contemporary fare, an assemblage of smart blousons and pullovers in feathery jacquard, slinky knits and button-down shirts cut long and roomy. Soft, airy layers and feather-shaped embroidery added a lighter touch.

Playing up to his tailoring expertise were lightweight coats, cut generously but not bulky, but also utility-inflected pieces such as neo-cargo pants, a multipocket jacket with a moleskin collar and a handful of skirts and dresses that looked like repurposed artisan aprons.

A welcome looseness exuded from other details such as necklines left open at the back, deceptively simple draped dresses or raw edges that suggested clothes caught mid-gesture. Accessories were attractive, including mismatched earrings shaped after pencil shavings, vintage-y eyewear, capacious totes with a spot to slot in a smaller purse, and mostly flat footwear.

While keeping a sense of continuity with his predecessors Louise Trotter and Mark Thomas, Nesselrath worked in enough freshness to feel current and enough familiarity to feel commercial in an outing that read like a well-written, polite introduction.