Audrey Hepburn’s style is one of the most emulated and admired in the world. She managed to balance simplicity, comfort and elegance to create a timeless, singularly European sophistication that came to define her persona.
Audrey Hepburn’s allure was about subtlety and effortless gracefulness rather than the flagrant sex appeal that was supposed to personify contemporary stars of the silver screen. Unlike so many other icons of the period, Hepburn’s style was not manufactured by a studio, but was instead entirely idiosyncratic. It called upon both the understated elegance of her upbringing, and the many years of ballet that influenced her physical bearing.
As in some of Hepburn’s films, there is an element of the Cinderella story in her own life. The daughter of an Irish banker and a Dutch baroness, she grew up during the hardship of war-stricken Holland and then moved to post-war London with her mother, where she tried to work as a dancer – albeit unsuccessfully (she was considered too tall) – and then played small roles in theatre and film. However, before long she was discovered by the French writer Colette, who invited her to perform as the protagonist of her play ‘Gigi’ on Broadway in 1951. Success and stardom were imminent.
In 1954, Hepburn’s film Sabrina marked the beginning of a life-long friendship and collaboration with French couturier Hubert de Givenchy. With her simple but striking appearance, she knew exactly how she wanted to be portrayed, and together with Givenchy they created Hepburn’s cinematic style, the success of which has lasted for decades.
This event examined Audrey Hepburn’s career and the role of fashion – particularly that of Givenchy – in both her films and the creation of her image, on- and off-screen.
