Marie-Louise CARVEN (31 August 1909 - 8 June 2015), born Carmen de TOMMASO, was a French fashion designer who founded the House of Carven in 1945. She was noted for her designs for small women, her use of lightweight fabrics such as lace and pink gingham, and for being one of the first couturiers to launch a prêt-a-porter. She was the first Paris designer to patent a push-up bra. Marie-Louise CARVEN was born Carmen de TOMMASO on 31 August 1909 in Châtellerault, France. However, she strongly disliked her given name, and when she founded her business, she assumed the name by which she is better known. As a young woman, CARVEN studied architecture and interior decor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1945, at the age of 35, 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 was also the costume designer for eleven films, including but not limited to Manon (1949), Rendezvous in July (1949), Edward and Caroline (1951), Holiday for Henrietta (1952), and Le Guérisseir (1953). She also worked for the costume and wardrobe department for the film The Red Shoes (1948), and for the episode of Gold (1952) of the television series Foreign Intrigue. CARVEN retired at the age of 84 in 1993.