Marie-Louise Carven

In 1945, at the age of 36, Carven opened her fashion house on the Champs-Élysées. The name Carven combined Carmen, her given name, with the last name of her aunt Josy Boyriven, who introduced her to couture. The 5'1" Carven focused her line on petite women, "because [she] was too short to wear the creations of the top couturiers, who only ever showed their designs on towering girls."

Carven soon became known as "the smallest of big couturiers." The signature piece from her first collection was a full skirted, green and white striped summer dress. Green and white stripes became the signature of the House of Carven. The material had been found in the attic of a chateau and was likely originally purchased for the summer uniforms of housemaids prior to World War I. Her early clients included Leslie Caron, Martine Carol, Zizi Jeanmaire, and Édith Piaf.

Carven was an inventive marketer. In 1946, she publicized the launch of her first perfume by parachuting hundreds of sample bottles across Paris. In 1950, Carven created a collection inspired by Gone with the Wind to coincide with the film's French release. She toured France with the collection, staging fashion shows at movie theaters.

In 1950, she became one of the first couturiers to develop prêt-à-porter. Her preference for simple materials such as pink gingham and broderie anglaise eased her transition to ready-to-wear.

In 1955, she launched Carven Junior.

Carven was one of the first fashion houses to stage runway shows around the world. The designer's travel inspired her to use diverse materials such as madras, batik, and raffia in her collections. In the 1950s, Carven was one of the first Western designers to use African textiles.

Carven designed uniforms for the 1976 French Olympic team, Parisian traffic wardens, Eurostar staff, and over 20 airlines.

Carven was also the costume designer for eleven films, including Manon (1949), Rendezvous in July (1949), Edward and Caroline (1951), Holiday for Henrietta (1952), and Le Guérisseur (1953). She also worked for the costume and wardrobe department for the film The Red Shoes (1948), and for the episode Gold (1952) of the television series Foreign Intrigue. She worked for the art department for the Perry Mason episode The Case of the Gallant Grafter (1960).

Carven retired at age 84 in 1993.

In 2001, she gifted her archives to the Musée Galliera.