The house of Carven was founded by Marie-Louise Carven in 1945. Specializing in outfits for petite ladies like her, the brand was an instant hit with the French elite in Post-War Paris. Throughout her long career, Madame Carven became known for numerous trademarks, notably youthful fabrics like cotton gingham and broderie anglaise, and also exotic textiles like African wax cloth and Indonesian batik, which she brought back from her frequent far-flung travels. Her famous 1946 fragrance, "Ma Griffe", was named after a sundress cut in her signature green and white striped cloth. Madame Carven retires in 1993 and her oeuvre is celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition at the Musée Galliera in 2002.