Carven x La Redoute lands online

January may traditionally be the period for great changes, or at least it has the potential for it – resolutions, spring chickens and the like. But in style terms it can be somewhat tricky. Shops tend to contain either the dregs of sale rails or bright and breezy spring/summer stock; neither of which make the most appealing of purchases – at least not in dim, drizzling and decidedly wintry Britain.

Fortunately a new partnership between the French retailer La Redoute and fashion house Carven means there is something to satisfy New Year shopping urges.

A mail-order company might not seem like the most natural of partners for a historic French label, but La Redoute is one of the unsung heroes of high-street collaborations. Their collections boast designers that even behemoth retailers like H&M haven’t managed to snag, like Azzedine Alaïa, Yves Saint Laurent and Yohji Yamamoto.

Carven may not carry quite the same kudos or cachet, but its history is no less storied. Founded in 1945 by Marie-Louise Carven, more commonly referred to as Madame Carven, with the sole aim of dressing petite women like herself. However her designs – more understated than those created by other couturiers of the time – quickly gathered a global customer base.

Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud are the designers currently at the helm of the label: Madame Carven, who died last year, retired in the 1990s. It has enjoyed a major revival in the past decade, bolstered by the founder’s centenary which was celebrated in 2009 and the popularity of its trademark candy-coloured, feminine tailoring, at attractive and accessible prices.

That rich house heritage is central to the new collaboration, inspired by the air-hostess uniforms of Air France, which Madame Carven put her spin on during the 1960s and 1970s. Cast aside any notions of ill-fitting polyester suits and neck scarves because the result is far from clichéd trolley-dolly attire.

Tailoring is key to the collection, all of which features Carven’s inherently feminine aesthetic, with figure-flattering nipped-in waists and mini hemlines. Stand-out pieces include a pleated skirt and jacket combo in a pretty shade of pastel blue. If that all sounds a little too frilly, much of the collection comes in the far more January-friendly contemporary colour palette of navy, khaki and cream. And if your wallet has taken a hit over the festive period the price tags are similarly appealing. starting at £29 and with nothing coming in at over £149 – a significant saving on the brand’s mainline offerings.

All available online now at laredoute.co.uk