Carven, the French couture house, was born in 1945 and has always promoted a particularly democratic vision of fashion. Madame Carven entered the world of 1940's haute couture as a complete novice, bringing with her a freshness and spontaneity of style that resembled the daily lives of women of the time. Now under the expert guidance of designer Guillaume Henry, who before heading Carven was senior stylist and first assistant to Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, has directed and re-vamped the girlishly chic couture brand for new audiences and since SS 12 introduced a menswear line to the house's repertoire characterized by fresh, boyish looks.