The Designer & the Muse: Hubert de Givenchy & Audrey Hepburn

By Alexus Mosley

Audrey Hepburn is endearingly remembered today as a pioneering film star, warmhearted philanthropist, and fashion icon. Making her first cinematic appearance in the 1948 Dutch film Dutch in Seven Lessons, Audrey’s striking beauty, poise, and graceful presence captivated audiences worldwide. Her theatrical talent solidified her stardom, but what started as a collaboration and would grow into a lifetime friendship with luxurious French designer and couturier Hubert de Givenchy catapulted her star quality into new heights.

Few partnerships in fashion history are as legendary as that of Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy. Together, they redefined elegance, blending timeless simplicity with innovative sophistication. The two met in 1953 while Hepburn was filming Billy Wilder’s American romantic comedy-drama, Sabrina. Paramount Studios called Givenchy to tell him that “Hepburn” was looking to commission his designs for a new role. Expecting established and headstrong actress Katharine Hepburn, Givenchy was flattered at the opportunity. He was surprised to find what he described as a “young, very thin, charming woman with big eyes dressed in cigarette pants, ballerina flats, and a little t-shirt.” He initially declined her invitation, telling her “No, Mademoiselle, I can’t dress you. It’s difficult, because it’s collection time, and I don’t think I have time to help you.” However, Hepburn’s determination won him over after she invited him to dinner.

“His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality,” Hepburn said of Givenchy shortly after the filming of Sabrina. The sleek, modern costumes featured in the film showed her to audiences in an entirely different light. The iconic organza gown with a bodice embroidered with jet beads is still considered one of the most iconic dresses in cinematic history. Givenchy’s work on Sabrina went on to earn Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, during the 1955 Academy Awards. Though the film’s official costume designer, Edith Head, was named for the award and accepted it with no mention of Givenchy’s contribution, the deal was done. Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy would go on to make numerous groundbreaking contributions to fashion for the next forty years until Hepburn’s death in 1993.

Givenchy defined Hepburn’s iconic style, creating The “Audrey look.” Consisting of clean palettes of black, white, and pastel pink and modishly chic accessories such as oversized sunglasses, gloves, and hats. The tailored simplicity of sleek lines and cropped trousers mirrored Audrey Hepburn’s elegant and graceful personality. Audrey Hepburn would exclusively wear his designs in many of her films and personal appearances. As the actress’s popularity soared, so did sales at Givenchy’s label, making him a fashion powerhouse. The duo's most notable fashion moments appeared in Funny Face (1957), Charade (1963), and most important of all, George Axelrod’s adaption of Truman Capote’s novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which premiered in 1961. The little black dress worn by Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, is more famous than the film itself and remains a staple of modern wardrobes.

Outside of their working relationship, Hepburn and Givenchy’s personal relationship rang just as strong. “There are few people in my life whom I love, and one of them is Hubert,” said Audrey Hepburn of her best friend. In a 2015 interview with The Telegraph, she expressed, “It was a kind of marriage. We were inseparable.” Hubert de Givenchy's legendary run included the production of Audrey Hepburn’s wedding dress for her 1969 marriage to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti as well as L'Interdit, a perfume created in her likeness. “Our collaboration was an extraordinary marriage of success, and I am very lucky to have had such an enchanting person as my friend.”