Givenchy and Hepburn The Designer and His Muse
Once upon a time when there were no influencers, when brands had not begun looking for ambassadors, there was Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. One of the world's most admired actresses and undisputed icons of Old Hollywood, Hepburn was considered the muse of gifted French designer Hubert de Givenchy, to whom she was linked throughout her career by a lasting friendship and professional partnership.
As the story goes, in 1953, while filming Sabrina, Audrey Hepburn paid a visit to French couturier Hubert de Givenchy's studio in Paris to discuss the possibility of his designing the dresses for the film. Givenchy, was, however, expecting Katharine Hepburn who was more famous at the time. Instead, what arrived in his studio was Audrey, who was “this very thin person with beautiful eyes, short hair, thick eyebrows, very tiny trousers, ballerina shoes and a little T-shirt.“
First he declined her. 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 charm, or, as he put it, “her beauty, personality and lightness of spirit”. This was the beginning of a creative friendship which lasted until Hepburn passed away in 1993. “She persuaded me, how lucky I was to have accepted”, Givenchy said later on.
The designer and his actress muse, Mr. Givenchy and Ms. Hepburn defined a relationship that has become the dream of almost every brand. They found each other before either was really famous — the designer had only recently opened his Maison and her first major movie had yet to be released; and they held each other through the journey into their careers.
Hepburn made Givenchy synonymous with a certain kind of elegance that might have been called dull otherwise, but instead she made that pieces iconic. When she wore them onscreen, as she did in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Sabrina,” she magnified the effect to such an extent that it spread not just around the world in the time of the film but are still coveted after decades. And that is one of the reasons why their relationship worked so well: It was mutually beneficial not just as a friendship, but as a professional signifier. When women bought Givenchy, they were also buying the idea of Hepburn’s unmatched elegance.
Dressing Audrey Hepburn was not his only deed of course. He dressed other famous women, including Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. He was one of the first designers to create high-end ready-to-wear, and a signature scent. But their relationship as the designer and his muse was outshining over it all, in a good sense of course. Ms. Hepburn was quoted as saying: “Givenchy’s clothes are the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality.”
This sincere relationship lasted until Hepburn passed away in 1993, leaving Hubert de Givenchy devastated. This marked the end of fashion's enduring story of the elegant master of 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”. He was right. Almost 30 years after her death, the elegant muse’s reputation hasn’t withered in the slightest. She was called “the world’s darling” by Life magazine at the very start of her career and that is what she remains in the world of fashion and cinema.
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