"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"When did Hubert de Givenchy stop designing?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Givenchy retired from fashion design in 1995. Givenchy resided at the Château du Jonchet, a listed historic castle in Romilly-sur-Aigre, Eure-et-Loir, near Paris. In his retirement, he focused on collecting 17th and 18th-century bronze and marble sculptures."}}]}}

Hubert de Givenchy & Audrey Hepburn :: TIG | Digital Publication (2024)

ONE OF THE fashion world’s most beautiful and enduring platonic love stories was almost never to be. As the story goes, in 1953, while filming Sabrina, Audrey Hepburn paid a visit toFrench couturier Hubert de Givenchy‘s studio in Paris to discuss the possibility of his designing the dresses for the film. Givenchy, was, of course, expecting the (more famous at the time), Katharine Hepburn. Instead, what arrived in his studio was Audrey, who, according to his recollection, was“this very thin person with beautiful eyes, short hair, thick eyebrows, very tiny trousers, ballerina shoes and a little T-shirt. On her head was a straw gondolier’s hat with a red ribbon around it”. He declined her invitation to design for her, telling her “No, Mademoiselle, I can’t dress you”.

Hepburn, however, was not dissuaded and invited Givenchy to dinner. By the end of that night in 1953, it is said that the couturier had fallen under her spell, or, as he put it, “her beauty, personality and lightness of spirit”.

And so began a creative friendship which lasted until Hepburn passed away in 1993. “She persuaded me, how lucky I was to have accepted”, Givenchy said. Known for her timelessness and grace, the creative mind behind some of the British film star’s most famous looks would be the aristocratic French designer. Hepburn would be Givenchy’s muse and friend for over 40 years, stating, “His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality.”

Near the end of her life, the actress gave the designer a navy blue quilted coat, telling him “when you are sad, wear this and it will give you courage”. Much overcome with emotion even 20 years after her death, he would say “From Geneva to Paris, I wept in the jacket she had given me”.

And so ended fashion’s enduring love story between the elegant master of devastating chic and the much-loved film and fashion icon. Givenchy would later say of Hepburn,“she was an enchantress, inspiring love and beauty, and fairies never quite disappear altogether”.

Hubert de Givenchy & Audrey Hepburn :: TIG | Digital Publication (2024)

FAQs

What did Audrey Hepburn say about Givenchy? ›

As Hepburn once said, “Givenchy's clothes are the only ones I feel myself in.

Was Givenchy in love with Hepburn? ›

The Sabrina experience was the beginning of a relationship between the movie star and the couturier that was both personal and professional, and lasted until Hepburn's death from colon cancer in 1993. “It was a kind of marriage,” Givenchy told me.

What was Hubert de Givenchy known for? ›

Hubert de Givenchy, who died at the age of 91 on Saturday, was perhaps best known to the wider public for the elegant designs he created for his muse Audrey Hepburn, including the slinky black dress she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is still viewed as the quintessential Little Black Dress.

Who was Hubert de French designer for Audrey Hepburn? ›

Hubert de Givenchy (born February 20, 1927, Beauvais, France—died March 10, 2018, near Paris, France) was a French fashion designer noted for his couture and ready-to-wear designs, especially those he created for the actress Audrey Hepburn.

What is Audrey Hepburn's most famous quote? ›

The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.

What was Audrey Hepburn's style quote? ›

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

Was Katharine Hepburn LGBT? ›

Her sexuality has been widely discussed by, among others, friend and columnist Liz Smith, who confirmed that Hepburn had lesbian relationships, and authors James Robert Parish in Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story (2005), William J.

Why is Givenchy so famous? ›

IS GIVENCHY A LUXURY BRAND? Yes, Givenchy is a luxury brand founded in France by Hubert de Givenchy, a French fashion designer known for making clothing for the famous movie star and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn. The brand is known for its high-end and high-quality clothing designs and perfumes.

Who attended Audrey Hepburn's funeral? ›

Her sons Sean Hepburn Ferrer (she had with American actor Mel Ferrer), and Luca Dotti (she had with Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti), and her last partner Dutch actor Robert Wolders, attend the ceremony.

Who dressed Audrey Hepburn? ›

From 1956, Hepburn's contract stipulated that she would be dressed by Givenchy in all contemporary-set films. Hepburn herself stated that Givenchy "gave me a look, a kind, a silhouette. He has always been the best, and he stayed the best. Because he kept the spare style that I love.

Who owns Givenchy now? ›

The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter. It is currently owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH.

How old was Hubert de Givenchy when he died? ›

Fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, a pioneer in high-end ready-to-wear who was famous for styling Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," died at the age of 91, the House of Givenchy confirmed on March 12.

Was Audrey Hepburn Givenchy's muse? ›

Hubert de Givenchy chose Audrey Hepburn as his favorite muse and she in turn remained loyal to his designs until her death in 1993. “Givenchy's clothes are the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality,” she once said.

Who was Audrey Hepburn's husband? ›

When did Hubert de Givenchy stop designing? ›

Givenchy retired from fashion design in 1995. Givenchy resided at the Château du Jonchet, a listed historic castle in Romilly-sur-Aigre, Eure-et-Loir, near Paris. In his retirement, he focused on collecting 17th and 18th-century bronze and marble sculptures.

What brands did Audrey Hepburn wear? ›

The result was an eclectic, dynamic wardrobe that included designs by Ken Scott, Michèle Rosier, Paco Rabanne, Mary Quant, Foale and Tuffin, Courrèges and many others.

Why didn't Humphrey Bogart like Audrey Hepburn? ›

Bogart and Hepburn's considerable age gap didn't help matters much either. At 54, Bogart had exactly 30 years on his co-star. Ironically, Hepburn was close in age to Bogart's real-life wife, Lauren Bacall — but she didn't share the same chemistry with Bogart ... or any chemistry, for that matter.

When did Audrey meet Givenchy? ›

It all started when a young Audrey insisted on personally choosing the costumes for the classic 1954 film Sabrina. Cristóbal Balenciaga was too busy to attend to her, so he sent her to a young emerging tailor named Hubert de Givenchy.

Did Audrey Hepburn wear Balenciaga? ›

Fellow designer Coco Chanel and Carmel Snow, the editor of Harper's Bazaar, emerged as early supporters of Balenciaga's groundbreaking work. Subsequently, his designs were worn by celebrities Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy and Wallis Simpson.

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