LEGENDARY fashion house Carven has experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years. While the recently departed design duo Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud turned around the womenswear collections in 2015, the fragrance element of the French brand has also been overhauled.
L’Absolu represents rebirth in many ways. The crisp, virginial whiteness of the bottle again the subtle gold accents is just one example of this. Absolu, derived from absolute, is defined as something which allows no restriction, no exception or concession.
Carven L’Absolu Eau du Parfum 100ml
The fragrance is, for lack of a better word, intense. Richly sweet and floral rather than fresh, it feels iconic rather than young or new. Oriental base notes of Indonesian patchouli and sandalwood help to achieve this, but then middle notes of Egyptian absolute jasmine, tuberose and iris elevate it to a sweeter level. Finally, top notes of Italian green mandarin essence and Madagascan ylang ylang essence provide a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dose of freshness.
Carven L’Absolu is for the flower lover, assured of what she wants and unafraid to show it. It’s a new yet iconic fragrance for the fashion house, and will surely become a landmark of this time for Carven’s history.
by Thomas Marrington
Carven L’Absolu (30ml) retails at £42 and is available at Selfridges and House of Fraser