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 designed uniforms for the 1976 French Olympic team, Parisian traffic wardens, Eurostar staff, 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. In 2001, she gifted her archives to the
Musée Galliera. == Awards ==