5 things Hubert de Givenchy brought to fashion

On February 20, 1927, almost 100 years ago, Hubert de Givenchy was born in Beauvais into a French noble family. The couturier, who died in 2018 at the age of 91, enjoyed a long and prosperous career, contributing elements to French fashion that still make it unique today. After starting out at Robert Piguet (where he preceded Marc Bohan) and a spell at Lucien Lelong (when Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior left), Hubert de Givenchy joined the ranks of Elsa Schiaparelli, where he designed jewelry, accessories and, above all, clothes for four wonderful years. In 1951, he decided to strike out on his own, opening his eponymous couture house in Paris, where he presented his first collection a year later. Although the launch was a great success, the most important turning point in his career was his meeting with his idol, who would later become his mentor and friend: Cristobal Balenciaga. It's precisely thanks to this kind of friendship and chance encounter that, over the years, Mr. De Givenchy has built his career one thread at a time. To celebrate this master couturier's birthday, let's take a look back at the encounters that gave birth to the Maison Givenchy's most iconic creations, through 5 key moments that made Hubert de Givenchy's time in the fashion world unforgettable. 

Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's

It was in 1953 that the paths of the two artists crossed. While the couturier waited patiently in his studio for Katherine Hepburn to arrive, it was another Hepburn who walked through the door. The chemistry between Audrey and Hubert was immediate. The actress's doe eyes and natural elegance inspired the designer to create dresses and outfits, each more refined than the last, in line with the main theme and creations of his house. Usually accompanied in her stylistic choices on the big screen by costume designer Edith Head, the actress decided to choose the clothes she would wear in Sabrina herself. Legend has it that the wife of the film's director, Billy Wilder, sent Hepburn to the house of Balenciaga, then run by Monsieur Balenciaga himself, who, too busy to take on the assignment, sent her to his neighbor across the street, Givenchy. Thanks to this happy coincidence, Sabrina's outfits came to life, with the white organza dress embroidered with a princess silhouette, the two-piece wool ensemble and, above all, the famous black cocktail dress, tight at the waist and more flared towards the bottom of the body, tied at the shoulders with two pretty bows. But among the multitude of outfits that the actress inspired the couturier to create for her, one in particular made history: the little black dress with gloves and pearl necklace worn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Archetypal of all the little black dresses to come, the dress is made from the highest-quality black silk, revealing just enough of the shoulders and back to allow the strings of pearls to shine as they should. Accompanied by long gloves and dark glasses, it helped make the scene in which the actress, as Holly Golightly, eats a croissant in front of the New York windows of Tiffany's memorable.

Elegant outfits for royals, from Jackie Kennedy to Grace of Monaco

But while the friendship between Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy was special and significant also outside the walls of the couture studios, the actress isn't the only icon to have proudly sported Hubert de Givenchy's pieces. Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace of Monaco and the Duchess of Windsor ... the list of sovereigns and divas whom the couturier has honored with his gowns is long. Everyone remembers, for example, the ivory silk satin gown embroidered with flowers worn by Jackie Kennedy during a meeting between the American presidential couple and Charles de Gaulle at Versailles. On the other side of the Atlantic, Givenchy's style was just as popular. In 1961, Grace Kelly, newly crowned Princess of Monaco, visited the White House wearing a magnificent green wool suit from the French designer's SS61 collection. With its straight neckline, bow at the waist and small bolero with three-quarter-length sleeves, the ensemble embodied the very essence of Givenchy's success, adapted to the princess's personality and style. 

The Bettina blouse, the shirt dress, and respect for women’s freedom

It didn't take long for the designer to introduce an iconic piece that left a lasting impression. In his very first show, Les Séparables, in February 1952, Givenchy unveiled the Bettina blouse, which quickly became one of his most famous creations. The lace blouse, named after the house's public relations director Bettina Graziani, is the epitome of Givenchy elegance. Marked at the waist, adorned with broderie anglaise ruffles on the sleeves and an elegant collar, the Bettina blouse stands out for its ability to match a wide variety of garments, from skirts to pants. Versatile and contemporary, it accompanies women in their new roles and their growing quest for emancipation. Three years later, Givenchy introduced the shirt dress, another iconic creation that changed the face of fashion at the time. Popularized by Marie-Antoinette and her chemise à la reine, Givenchy's revisitation of the shirt dress embodies the perfect balance between femininity and practicality. In the era of the “flower woman” and Christian Dior's New Look, the return of corsets and Belle Epoque silhouettes, Givenchy, through the Bettina blouse and shirtdress, succeeded, thanks to the ingenuity of its cuts and shapes, in standing out and proposing a different approach to fashion than its colleagues, respecting women, their bodies and their freedom. 

“Givenchy Université”: one of the first luxury ready-to-wear lines

In 1960, when a booming consumer society - encouraged by mass media such as cinema and television - required a type of garment production that could keep pace with its frenetic pace, ready-to-wear emerged. Jacques Heim, then President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, launched the “prêt-à-porter création” concept to offer consumers models adapted to their needs and intended for mass production. A few years later, couturiers took the initiative of creating “prêt-à-porter des couturiers” to distinguish themselves from “prêt-à-porter industriel”, the latter being characterized by the use of more affordable materials, simplified cuts and, above all, less prestige. One of the first great couturiers to offer a luxury ready-to-wear line was none other than - we'll give you that - Hubert de Givenchy, with his “Givenchy Université” line, manufactured in Paris using sewing machines flown in from the USA. This branch of the House, alongside industry colleagues such as Elsa Schiaparelli and Pierre Balmain with his “Florilège” line, made a major contribution to making high fashion more accessible, more present, and more firmly rooted than ever in French homes, from north to south. 

Givenchy perfumes

Although this part of Givenchy's career doesn't exactly fall into the “fashion” category, it's impossible to talk about the French house without mentioning its fragrances. If “L'interdit” is still so popular today, it's thanks to the house's precursor. The fragrance was created in 1957 as a tribute to Givenchy's undisputed muse: Audrey Hepburn. For the first time, a major fashion brand used a muse to promote a fragrance. At the time, Christian Dior (who died that year) reigned supreme, between his New Look collection, which revolutionized fashion, and his subsidiary Parfum Christian Dior. Even Givenchy's mentor, Cristobal Balenciaga, was thriving in the perfume world. Inspired by his colleagues, Givenchy took the plunge. The business started discreetly and modestly, on the first floor of a building in Levallois-Perret, with the help of a few family funds. This new launch was an immediate success. 

In 1988, at the age of 60, Givenchy was sold to the LVMH group. After receiving numerous awards (Dé d'or in 1978 and 1982, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1983), Hubert de Givenchy left the company in 1995. He was immediately replaced by the king of maximalism, John Galliano, who stayed for a year, followed by Lee Alexander McQueen, who spent four years as creative director, Julien MacDonald, Riccardo Tisci (who stayed for 12 years), Clare Waight Keller, Matthew M Williams, and Sarah Burton, who has just been appointed artistic director of the house. Almost 7 years after his death and after a 60-year career, Hubert de Givenchy is and remains a great master of French fashion, whose memory will remain honored for generations to come.