About Hubert de Givenchy

Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy was born in 1927 into an aristocratic French family.

As a young man, Givenchy attended the National School of Fine Arts in Paris and apprenticed with designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Givenchy founded his own fashion house in 1952 and introduced his first couture collection the same year. In 1954 he became the first designer to launch a high-end ready-to-wear line.

His clientele would eventually include some of the world's most famous and fashionable women, global icons such as Jackie Kennedy, Jane Fonda, and Princess Grace of Monaco. Givenchy was perhaps best known for his relationship with Audrey Hepburn, who wore his garments in some of her most famous films.

Givenchy sold his label, Givenchy Couture Group, in 1988 after 36 years of independence. He remained head of creative design for seven years before retiring in 1995.

Hubert de Givenchy passed away in 2018.

Image Credit: Rex Features