One of the most renowned brands in high fashion, Givenchy was founded over 60 years ago by Hubert de Givenchy, and was incorporated in large fashion group Lvhm in 1988.
As the name suggests, Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy descended from an ancient noble household. Against his family’s will, he enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
He was attracted by the sparkling world of Parisian fashion, and fascinated by the hard years of the world conflict, which also allowed taste and high fashion to bloom.
He refined and perfected his technique at the workshops of designers Piguet and Jacques Fat, but mostly with Elsa Schiapparelli, who had embarked on her own successful business adventure in fashion.
Once completed his apprenticeship, Givenchy was ready for the great leap – his personal adventure, the first collection bearing his name and branded Givenchy. His brand was an instant success, in terms of public appreciation, critics and sales. One dress in particular immediately turned into an icon: the “bettina” blouse, inspired by Bettina Graziani, a famous model in the 1950s.
Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn
However, it was mostly another encounter to shape Givenchy’s history: that with actress Audrey Hepburn, who became his partner and muse.
Givenchy dressed Hepburn in some of the most famous movies in history, from Sabrina to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and thus created a myth in the myth, a fashion brand now universally recognized and a timeless icon of femininity. The designer himself defined his relationship with Hepburn “a sort of wedding”…
Romance, classic cuts in suits, gloves, and the power to seduce with unaltered grace and a divine poise: Audrey Hepburn would become the emblem of the sweet, elegant style that would be indelibly tied to the Givenchy brand.
