Carven was born on August 31, 1909 in Châtellerault, Vienne, France. She was a costume designer, known for The Red Shoes (1948), Edward and Caroline (1951) and Coïncidences (1947). She was married to René Grog and Philippe Mallet. She died on June 8, 2015 in Paris, France.
Because of textile restrictions after WWII, she made her dresses in cotton fabric, which gave them a lighter look. She was made Compagnon de la Légion d'Honneur by French culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand in November 2010.
She was deemed Just by the Israeli government for having sheltered during WWII an employee Henry Bricianer and his family. There was a exhibition of her work at Paris's Galliera Museum in 2002.