French fashion house Carven is launching a new fragrance, Carven Le Parfum. Francis Kurkdjian designed the perfume, while Thierry de Baschmakoff (you might recognize his name via his association with The Different Company) created the bottle and the box. Carven Le Parfum will now have to live up to the rich Carven perfume heritage, which includes Ma Griffe launched in 1946 and Vétiver in 1957.
“Carven Le Parfum, for Francis Kurkdjian, is the concept of a sillage that combines several paradoxes, a fresh and ethereal fragrance that is, at the same time, ultra feminine. It opens with the spontaneity of Mandarin Blossom, combined with the delicacy of White Hyacinth. The heart is a somewhat impertinent floral bouquet composed with devilish cunning, built around Sweet Pea, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang. The sensuous bottom notes are precious and woody: White Sandalwood, Osmanthus and Indonesian Patchouli (quote via press release).”
The Eau de Parfum includes notes of mandarin blossom, white hyacinth, sweet pea, jasmine, ylang ylang, sandalwood, osmanthus, and patchouli. Besides the Eau de Parfum (30ml/£38, 50ml/£55, 100ml/£72), there is also a collection of bath and body products.
Carven Le Parfum is launching on May 5th, 2013 at Harrods and Harrods.com and will be distributed widely starting June 5th, 2013.
28 Comments
Caroline: I hope you’ll review this one…sounds like it has potential. I’ve been meaning to track down a vintage bottle of Ma Griffe for awhile now. May 1, 2013 at 9:04am
Victoria: I’m also curious about it. It sounds nice! May 1, 2013 at 12:39pm
Lauren: Wow – I *love* the ad campaign, even if the model is still too young, it is gorgeous. I would love to read your review of the perfume when/if you can find it! May 1, 2013 at 9:21am
Bela: Yes, she’s all of, what, 15 years old? May 1, 2013 at 12:24pm
Victoria: Ha! I was thinking 13. 🙂 May 1, 2013 at 12:40pm
Victoria: I love that dress, at least whatever I can see of it. May 1, 2013 at 12:39pm
breathesgelatin: It sounds Very Kurkdjian. May 1, 2013 at 10:01am
Victoria: He does radiant floral notes really well. May 1, 2013 at 12:40pm
Phyllis Iervello: It does sound promising but I look forward to your review of it. May 1, 2013 at 10:22am
Victoria: Hope that it won’t disappoint, but either way, I look forward to trying it. May 1, 2013 at 12:41pm
Cornelia Blimber: I wish they would bring their Vetiver back to the former quality. Carven was the best vetiver in the whole world, so many times it refreshed me on hot days. Now it is too thin, alas. May 1, 2013 at 11:55am
Victoria: I agree with you. Carven’s Vetiver was the vetiver, and Guerlain must have been inspired by it. Today, it’s kind of bland. May 1, 2013 at 12:42pm
Nancy A.: Hi V,
Remember wearing Carven’s Ma Griffe in another life and wonder if this as well as Ma Griffe would be appealing. I do like Different Company’s Iris and Kurkdjian can be a little out there for my taste. May 1, 2013 at 12:45pm
Victoria: If you wore Ma Griffe in the past, the current version is sure to disappoint you. It’s thin, somewhat sharp. May 1, 2013 at 3:03pm
george: I agree with you: it sounds nice! I just wish the PR release was better written (and was as charming as it sounds like the perfume might be) May 1, 2013 at 1:59pm
Victoria: I don’t have high expectations for the PR copy anymore. 🙂 May 1, 2013 at 2:54pm
minette: i have high hopes for this, as carven’s ma griffe holds a special place in my heart as the perfume i most closely associate with my mom, who wore it when i was little. she no longer remembers that, but i do.
and, i love francis, and much of his work, so i also think this could be really, really good! can’t wait to try! would be lovely if carven came back to its former classic and gorgeous glory. May 1, 2013 at 3:28pm
Victoria: I would love that too! May 2, 2013 at 7:16am
Robert: I just got myself a vintage Carven Vetiver Aftershave (c. 1960), and was shocked at the mowed grass smell. Far more pronounced than in Guerlain’s version. It’s good, just very different. May 1, 2013 at 9:26pm
Victoria: I also was surprised to find it so intensely green. Too bad that the reissue is not as exciting. May 2, 2013 at 7:19am
Beth: I look forward to reading your reviews on this! I actually adore MFK so I’m very intrigued by this one! May 2, 2013 at 1:37pm
Victoria: I’m intrigued too, and I can’t wait for it to be available here. May 2, 2013 at 2:58pm
Geneviève: I am really curious now! It will be on my list of perfumes to smell 🙂 But the composition makes it my type of perfumes so I’m really excited about that ! May 3, 2013 at 12:42pm
Victoria: I so hope that my hopes for it won’t be dashed. 🙂 May 3, 2013 at 1:51pm
Sandra: Will this perfume be released in the US? Availability online? June 28, 2013 at 6:46am
Victoria: Yes, it definitely will be, but I’m not sure what plans they have for the online distribution. June 28, 2013 at 1:06pm
Sandra: Thanks Victoria! I will hopefully see it in the USA sometime soon June 28, 2013 at 3:06pm
Sandra: I smelled this today at saks. I can’t write as elegantly and descriptive as you, so I am just going to day it smells very French! <3 July 18, 2013 at 3:41pm