Hubert de Givenchy and Muse, Audrey Hepburn

Editor’s Note: We recently viewed The Nun’s Story, starring Ms. Hepburn, a project that wasn’t one that exhibited her fashion sense but nonetheless, one that displayed her acting talent. We recommend both the book and the Amazon DVD which we own. The Nun’s Story is a 1956 novel by American author Kathryn Hulme [1900-1981]. The novel is a slightly fictionalized biographical account of Hulme’s friend, Marie Louise Habets, a Belgian nurse and ex-nun of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. Her religious name was Sister Marie-Xaverine.

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag presents an ambitious exhibition in which couturier Hubert de Givenchy pays homage to his muse, Audrey Hepburn. The exhibition, open until 26 of March 2017,  is a grand retrospective of the work of French couturier Hubert de Givenchy, one of the leading fashion designers of the 20th century. His career ran concurrent to that of Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga and he is a living legend in the history of haute couture.

Hubert de Givenchy, ensemble, fall 1960, worn by Audrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Collection Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

 The exhibition is being curated in close consultation with Monsieur Hubert de Givenchy and  gives a unique insight into his career, which spanned a period of half a century, from the opening of his fashion house in 1952 through to his retirement from it in 1995.  Part of the exhibition focuses specifically on the unique friendship and professional collaboration between Hubert de Givenchy and actress Audrey Hepburn. Their creative partnership began in 1953 and endured for the remainder of Hepburn’s life. Audrey Hepburn wore Givenchy creations in some of her most renowned films, such as How to Steal a Million and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She once said, ‘Givenchy’s clothes are the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality.’