Following the notes of Richard Roger’s “Isn’t it Romantic”, Audrey Hepburn interpreting Sabrina Fairchild attended the Larrabee party in a particularly memorable ball gown. At the time considered “tres magnifique”, and today highly iconic, the dress was designed by Hubert de Givenchy.
Mr. Givenchy was born in 1927 to an aristocratic family in the French city of Beauvais, and it was his maternal grandmother who instilled an initial passion for fabrics. He left for Paris at the age of 17, starting his career as an apprentice for the vibrant Jacques Faith and later the legendary Elsa Schiaparelli. In 1952, Givenchy opened his own couture house and presented his debut collection, which included the iconic “Bettina blouse” named after model Bettina Graziani. Givenchy would soon attract prestigious clients and introduce couture fashion to the Hollywood world. In fact, it was the unexpected encounter with a Hollywood diva – Audrey Hepburn, of course – that characterized the designer’s career as she became his lifelong muse, creative partner and most eager supporter. Together, they created Sabrina Fairchild’s style, influencing decades of fashion history and bringing their respective worlds to an iconic status. When Givenchy launched his first perfume, L’interdit, in 1957, it was Audrey Hepburn who fronted the campaign making headlines. 1957 was also the year Givenchy introduced the “sack silhouette”, an innovative cut free of form and waistline. Givenchy also encouraged women to show more leg through higher hemlines, becoming a forerunner of 1960s fashion.
After being one of the first designers to sell his fashion house to a big corporation in 1988, Givenchy retired in 1995 abandoning, almost entirely, the fashion limelight. His work is now being honored at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid in an exhibition curated by designer himself. Hubert de Givenchy’s retrospective features 95 of his pieces celebrating the designer’s remarkable career.
