Fashion Influential #2: Hubert de Givenchy
Designer Hubert de Givenchy and actress Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's. Photos via Museu del Perfum.com and UKOnline.
HUBERT DE GIVENCHY
Born:
February 20, 1927 Beauvais, France
Celebrity fans:
Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Guinness, Grace Kelly, Babe Paley
Beginnings.
Hubert de Givenchy started out in the fashion industry working for Robert Piguet and, later, for Lucien Lelong, where he worked alongside assistants Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior. He also worked with Elsa Schiaparelli before opening his own company, the House of Givenchy, in 1952.
Career Highs.
In 1953, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and an entire nation mourned the loss. But when Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy showed up at the funeral in a custom design by Givenchy, people started to take notice. The same year, Givenchy met actress Audrey Hepburn for wardrobe fittings for her upcoming film Sabrina. He continued to style Hepburn for later movies she acted in, and the two forged a lifelong friendship that made Hepburn a fashion icon and gave Givenchy a permanent spot on the style radar.
[I never thought about] whether the skirt is wide enough to walk in, how the wearer will look getting into and out of a taxi.… I consider the beauty and artistic value of a fashion, not its utility.
- Hubert de Givenchy
A Givenchy dress worn by Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy
Career Lows. Givenchy owned his House for 36 years before selling it to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy in 1988. He appointed Dominique Sirop as his successor, but when Bernard Arnault took over LVMH, he didn't think Sirop was high-profile enough for the brand. Givenchy was not pleased with Arnault's leadership and expressed discontent that he didn't have enough contact with the head to express his ideas and counsel.
Legacy.
Givenchy is responsible for so much of the iconic old Hollywood glamour that we have come to love. The perfectly-cut, feminine dresses and gowns are ubiquitous on movie posters adorning the walls of young women, and the Audrey Hepburn little black dress and pearls has been imitated so many times it's practically a costume. The House of Givenchy still thrives, and still clothes Hollywood's finest.
Natalie Portman in Givenchy Spring couture from 2008.Get the Look.
Givenchy, unlike many designers, is not about ready-to-wear. It isn't about comfort, or functionality, as he says in the quote above. It is about style, and grace, and the ability to be so effortlessly lovely that people stop in their tracks. Choose something dramatic, but demure; colorful, but understated. Details, cut, and innovation should be the main event of any ensemble, and nothing funky or grunge.
- Olivia
Related Articles:
-
MARIO TESTINO Born: October 30, 1954 in Lima, Peru Famous subjects: Princess Diana , Claudia... Read Full Story » -
Designer Ralph Lauren walks the runway at the Ralph Lauren Fall 2008 fashion show during... Read Full Story » -
DAISY DUKE First Apparence: 1979 Last Apparence: 1985 Occupation: Server at the Boar's Nest, sex... Read Full Story » -
Grace Kelly as Frances Stevens in Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief . Photo via Hitchcock... Read Full Story » -
images via fashion encyclopedia and papier doll CLAIRE MCCARDELL Born: May 24, 1905 in Frederick... Read Full Story »
Comments
