Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn

Portrait Of Audrey Hepburn & Hubert De Givenchy

FAMOUS WOMEN AND BEAUTY

FEATURING: Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn

Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. Alliance and Friendship.

Hepburn and Givenchy first met in 1953 during the shoot of the film "Sabrina". At that time the twenty-six-year-old Hubert de Givenchy was already the rising star of French couture, competing with the famous forty-eight-years-old Christian Dior. The technique of Givenchy was influenced by his mentor and friend Cristobal Balenciaga. After he had worked for the well-known Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli, the young designer opened his own salon in Paris in 1952. His clothes were revolutionary for his time: feminine, yet very simple, and beautifully tailored.

Audrey flew to Paris for an appointment with him, not knowing that it would be the beginning of one of the most important alliances and friendships of her life.

Givenchy did not expect Audrey. He was in the middle of putting together his new collection. He suggested to Audrey to choose anything she liked from his current collection, a suggestion that satisfied her. According to Givenchy, Audrey knew exactly what she wanted to have, as well as the fine points and faults of her body. She only wanted to adapt some designs… This would eventually become an incredibly popular fashion style named after the film.

"Sabrina" would win only one Oscar, for the costume designs, and Edith Head would take all the credit. Audrey Hepburn felt very sorry for Givenchy, she called him immediately in Paris to apologize.

"I was very touched, but told her not to worry, because Sabrina had brought me more new clients than I could handle," Givenchy recalled. "But Audrey was still upset, and she made a promise to me that in the future she would make sure that it never happened again. And she kept her promise. This was one of the most marvelous things about her. She thought constantly of others."

Hubert de Givenchy created Audrey’s wardrobe for most of her movies after "Sabrina", but also for her personal use. She would consider him one of the best and most important friends in her life.

L’Interdit, created for Audrey Hepburn

L’Interdit was a fragrance created by Givenchy in 1957. It was meant for Audrey’s personal use, and was given to her as a surprise. She loved it. Because many of her friends wanted to have it also, she kept asking Givenchy to put L’Interdit on the market. As soon as the designer was ready to launch it, Audrey offered her help for the advertising campaign. The color ad with a beautiful photo of Audrey Hepburn made by Richard Avedon, stated: "Once she was the only woman in the world allowed to wear this perfume. L’Interdit. Created by Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn."

Audrey refused to negotiate a compensation from Givenchy for using her name. She always stressed that she highly valued the friendship of Hubert de Givenchy, and would gladly help him with launching his perfume.