In one breath

TITLES ARE NOT THE MAIN THING

The first in the joint work of Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy were the outfits for the film "Sabrina", this episode is described at the beginning of the article. When Audrey first arrived with a request to sew costumes for the role, Givenchy offered to choose an outfit from his latest collection. A white bustier ball gown embroidered with black silk and a cocktail dress with ties on the shoulders, called Sabrina's cleavage, became a masterpiece of the painting and instantly received recognition from the public. And in 1955, the film was awarded the Oscar for the Best Costumes, which Edith Head received. Givenchy's name was not mentioned in the credits. Audrey went to the master to apologize for such an injustice. And I did everything to publicly correct the mistake. After the release of the film, the young couturier had no end of customers, but most importantly, he found a friend and a woman for whom he created his masterpieces.

In 1956, Givenchy sewed costumes for the film Funny Face. According to the plot, the heroine finds herself in Paris again and transforms into a beautiful lady. For Audrey, more than fifteen completely different unforgettable images were created - feminine, airy, attractive, sentimental, romantic, and everyone, like the actress herself, played their role. The most memorable was a red sheath dress with a shawl, complemented by long white gloves. In the film, he is given only a few seconds. But what moments they were - bright as a fiery flash, forever remaining in the hearts of the audience.

The most popular image created by Givenchy for the actress, which still pops up in memory at the mention of Audrey Hepburn's name, is a long black dress with a curly neckline on the back, strings of pearls and a tiara in a high hairstyle. In it, she appears at the beginning of the famous movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's". This dress has become the most famous in the film industry and is recognized as a symbol of elegance. In 2006, it was sold at Christie's auction in London for almost $ 1 million. In addition to him, there are several other magnificent ensembles in the picture, for example, a pink dress with golden decorative details and a light silk coat in which Audrey looks like a fairy from a fairy tale. The iconic image is a little black dress with a famous black hat decorated with a long scarf. Or a woolen coat with a mink headdress – emphasized the exquisite French style. Audrey insisted that for all her roles, the outfits were created exclusively by Hubert de Givenchy.

The exhibition presents: a dark blue suit from the film "Charade" of 1963; a lace dress with an openwork mask and the same stockings from the painting "How to steal a million" of 1966; a long velvet dress with a transparent top, embroidery and sequins for the thriller;Blood Ties» 1979.

Audrey Hepburn was the standard of elegance not only on the screen, but also in life.Impeccable taste, multiplied by Givenchy's talent, made her an icon of the style of that time. In any outfit, he emphasized her fragility and grace. «I am as dependent on Givenchy as the people of America are on their psychoanalyst», – Audrey said.

In 1957 Givenchy invited perfumer Francis Fabron to create perfumes for his girlfriend. Audrey really liked the sensual trail of floral scent. At Hubert's request to put them on sale, she exclaimed: "I forbid you to sell this fragrance!» This is how the name L’Interdit («Ban») arose. This is the most mysterious Givenchy perfume, which for a long time was allowed to be worn by only one woman. Inspired by the image of Audrey, when her face is covered with a transparent veil, as well as an invisible haze of perfume, Givenchy created a whole bouquet of scents that meet her personality. And later Audrey became the first actress in history to be the face of a perfume advertising campaign.

Givenchy was the designer of Audrey's evening dresses, costumes for ceremonies, casual clothes, as well as the legendary wedding dress in which she married Andrea Dotti in 1969. Audrey chose to wear a modest trapeze dress, which would later be called a symbol of the era. From the notes: "We stole a glance at the beautiful, ultra-short pink dress that appeared in the doorway, a scarf of the same color and huge eyes in half of the face. Audrey silently smiled at everyone, as in the musical "My Fair Lady", and disappeared into the doorway of the tower.

Looking at the exhibits, you understand the beauty of the silhouette from Givenchy – expressiveness in the simplicity and conciseness of the cut. "Elegance is always inconspicuous and unobtrusive, it does not indulge in luxury and demonstration," says the designer. This attitude to fashion is especially appreciated by monarchs, aristocrats and wives of presidents. Givenchy's clients were Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Babe Paley, Baroness de Rothschild, Countess von Bismarck, Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Salima Aga Khan, Empress Farah Pahlavi, Maria Callas, Baroness Gabi Van Zuylen van Niehevelt, Diana Vreeland, Betsy Cushing Roosevelt Whitney, Baroness Sylvia de Waldner, Duchess of Windsor and many others.

But after the death of his beloved muse in 1993, Givenchy was unable to continue creating. Two years later, he announced his retirement and ceased his activities. Today, the couturier practically does not give interviews. He wanted this exhibition to be just about Audrey. But their creative life is inextricably linked. The relationship between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn completely changed the rules and the relationship between couture fashion houses and celebrities. And perhaps it is thanks to this friendship that Audrey Hepburn will forever remain in the minds of people the ideal of elegance in cinema and life, and Givenchy the greatest fashion designer.

Text: Elena Derzhavets

Photo: Elena Derzhavets,shutterstock.com