Carven, from couture to perfume
The name Carven is a contraction of Carmen and Boyriven, the surname of the founder's aunt, and the house opened in May 1945 at the Rond-point des Champs-Élysées. Its first haute couture collection included a green-and-white striped dress called Ma Griffe, and the following year the house's first perfume took its name and colors, and green became Carven's emblematic color. Carmen de Tommaso wanted perfumes as fresh and elegant as her clothes, an idea the house revisited in the Paris collection. Today Carven perfumes are designed and made in France.
The Carven fragrances in the range
Ma Griffe
Ma Griffe Eau de Parfum is the perfume that started the house's story. It was created by Jean Carles, who built it around the green accord of the gardenia bud, and the house describes it as a green floral chypre, with jasmine, ylang-ylang, vetiver and musk. Madame Carven wanted it to be "an outdoor perfume, one that must forget it is intoxicating."
L'Absolu, L'Eau Intense and L'Eau de Toilette
Francis Kurkdjian and Jérôme Di Marino created L'Absolu Eau de Parfum, a floral, oriental and chypre women's fragrance with jasmine, tuberose, iris and patchouli, as well as L'Eau Intense, a citrus, spicy eau de toilette. Francis Kurkdjian alone created L'Eau de Toilette, a fresh, musky floral for women with sweet pea, peony and wisteria.
Dans ma Bulle and the body lotion
Created by Patricia Choux, Dans ma Bulle Eau de Parfum is a powdery floral oriental with lychee, rose and a sugared almond accord, along with heliotrope and vanilla. Then there is Le Parfum Lait Parfumé, a scented body lotion.
The Paris collection
Carven introduced the collection in 2017 as a tribute to its founder and her love of travel. Each fragrance is named after a journey that starts in Paris and is conceived as the complement to a dress. To choose, you can start from the listed notes. Rose appears both in Paris Izmir, with bergamot and sandalwood, and in Paris Mascate, with bitter orange, coriander and tonka bean, and tonka bean returns in Paris Bangalore, together with vanilla and amber. Paris Manille is the only one with star fruit and plum.
How to choose a Carven perfume
If you want the perfume that started the house's story, begin with Ma Griffe. For the others, the stated family matters: L'Absolu is floral and chypre, L'Eau de Toilette floral and musky, Dans ma Bulle oriental and powdery, and L'Eau Intense citrus and spicy.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Carven?
Carven was founded in Paris in May 1945 by couturière Carmen de Tommaso, known as Madame Carven. The name combines Carmen and Boyriven, the surname of an aunt. The house began as a haute couture house and launched its first perfume, Ma Griffe, as early as 1946.
Which Carven perfume is for men?
Among the Carven perfumes in the range, L'Eau Intense is the one the house places in its men's wardrobe. It is a citrus, aromatic and spicy eau de toilette with mint, lavender, cardamom and cedar, created by Francis Kurkdjian and Jérôme Di Marino, while L'Absolu and L'Eau de Toilette are listed as women's fragrances.
Why is the Carven perfume called Ma Griffe?
Ma Griffe is named after a dress from Carven's first collection in 1945, a green-and-white striped dress. The perfume, launched in 1946, also took those colors for its packaging, and with Ma Griffe green became the house's emblematic color.
What is the Carven Paris collection?
The Paris collection is a series of fragrances Carven introduced in 2017 as a tribute to its founder and her love of travel. Each name refers to a journey from Paris, and each fragrance is conceived as the complement to a dress. The range includes Paris Izmir, Paris Manille, Paris Mascate and Paris Bangalore.
Which fragrance from the Paris collection should I choose?
It depends on the notes you are looking for. Paris Izmir combines rose, bergamot and sandalwood; Paris Manille has star fruit, pink pepper, plum and white musk. Paris Mascate has bitter orange, coriander, rose, geranium and tonka bean, and Paris Bangalore combines vanilla, tonka bean and amber. These are the notes announced at launch, in 2017.
What is the difference between Carven L'Absolu and L'Eau Intense?
The main difference between Carven L'Absolu and L'Eau Intense is concentration: L'Absolu is an eau de parfum and L'Eau Intense an eau de toilette. L'Eau Intense therefore has the same concentration as the house's L'Eau de Toilette, while L'Absolu sits alongside the other eaux de parfum in the range, Ma Griffe and Dans ma Bulle.
Which Carven perfumes are eau de parfum and which are eau de toilette?
In the range, Ma Griffe, L'Absolu and Dans ma Bulle are eaux de parfum, while L'Eau Intense and L'Eau de Toilette are eaux de toilette. For the Paris collection fragrances, the concentration is not stated in the product description. The range also includes Le Parfum Lait Parfumé, a scented body lotion.
Which Carven perfume should I start with?
To get to know Carven, the place to start is Ma Griffe Eau de Parfum, the perfume with which the house entered perfumery. If you prefer an eau de toilette, look at L'Eau Intense or L'Eau de Toilette; if fragrances inspired by travel appeal to you, choose one from the Paris collection.
