In one breath

"Givenchy and his Audrey" is how to describe the exhibition "Hubert Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn: an elegant Friendship", which took place last year in Switzerland, in a suburb of Lausanne, in a town called Walrus. This was exactly his Audrey, as he saw, understood and felt her.

This is not a fashion story. More precisely, not exactly about fashion. It is about a unique union, about the artist's devotion and love for his muse. About how Givenchy saw Audrey, how he admired her and created for her. This is the story of the most beautiful friendship of the last century. A story that doesn't end. It is longer than life…

And it began in Paris in 1953, when Audrey Hepburn, while preparing for filming in the film "Sabrina", independently selected a wardrobe for her role. Having received permission from Edith Head, the costume designer of the film, she went to the French capital to, like her heroine, bring outfits from the most romantic city in the world, the cradle of fashion and style. Seeing on the threshold of his Fashion House an unfamiliar girl, like a teenager, in awkward clothes, Givenchy was captivated by her bottomless eyes.

The acquaintance of the young designer with the young actress was fateful for both. They didn't just become loyal friends. The birth of a successful creative tandem took place. And they were able to carry this incredibly touching relationship through their entire lives.

The small town of Walrus on the shores of Lake Geneva, unlike aristocratic Montreux or luxurious Geneva, does not attract a large flow of tourists. Its main attractions are a picturesque embankment with a marina for luxury yachts and a castle built in 1286 by Louis of Savoy to protect the city. Today it houses a military museum. This monumental structure houses the exposition of the exhibition "Hubert Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn: An Elegant Friendship".

The exhibition has become a unique event not only for the city and the country, but also for the whole fashion world. Givenchy's work has received little attention from the fashion museums of the world during all this time. In particular, only two major retrospectives were dedicated to him: one in 2014 at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Gallery in Madrid and another in 2016 at the Municipal Museum of The Hague.

Being an aristocrat by birth and character, Givenchy refused to organize exhibitions for a long time, believing that only his friend and teacher Cristobal Balenciaga deserved such recognition.

Therefore, to be here and see with your own eyes the couture art of the master is truly an exceptional opportunity and luck. Moreover, at the end of the exhibition, the bulk of the exhibits were auctioned off by Hepburn's heirs.

But let's not talk about sad things. No other exhibition in the world has brought together such an extensive collection of creations by a French fashion designer and a British actress. More than fifty dresses, hats, accessories from private collections and prestigious museums were selected for the demonstration. Photographs, sketches made by Givenchy specially for the exhibition, a documentary and many other things that have not been shown to the general public before.

It is no coincidence that the walrus was chosen as the venue of the exhibition. The city is inextricably linked with Audrey Hepburn: for the last 30 years she lived on her estate in the nearby village of Toloshna, where she was buried in 1993. Fans of her work specially come here to visit iconic places and walk in the footsteps of their favorite actress. Walking through the streets of the city, you will inevitably come across such memory stores. For example, the town hall where Audrey Hepburn got married in 1969. A tea room with a pastry shop where you can buy a box of her favorite sweets, now bearing the name AUDREY HEPBURN. Grocery, dairy, vegetable shops along the Grand Rue, which Audrey regularly visited. Dumas grocery store, from where the actress had to escape through the back door from the paparazzi chasing her. A wine boutique where she bought her favorite varieties of white wine. The owners of the establishments keep in their memory a lot of stories about meetings with the legend of world cinema. Photos and posters with her portraits hang in cafes and shops, and street musicians play magical melodies from movies with her participation. Residents of the city remember and still love Audrey for her simplicity and kindness. Everything here is filled with the spirit of that time and memories of the life of a great actress.

For Givenchy, Audrey Hepburn became the personification of elegance, the embodiment of his style, which he inherited from his ancestors - famous architects and artists. After graduating from the School of Fine Arts in Paris and working side by side with famous designers Jacques Fat, Lucien Lelong, Elsa Schiaparelli, by the age of 25 he opened his own Fashion House and became the youngest couturier. Later he will say: "I believe that my talent is sent by God. I ask a lot of God, but I thank him for it. I am a very demanding believer." Givenchy expressed himself in every dress. And Audrey became their soul. And they came to life. Each created silhouette has its own unique story hidden behind it.

To be continued.

Text: Elena Derzhavets

Photo: Elena Derzhavets, shutterstock.com