The partnership that defined a century of elegance.
In 1953, a young Belgian actress arrived at Hubert de Givenchy's Paris atelier to borrow dresses for her new film, Sabrina. Givenchy, expecting Katharine Hepburn, was disappointed to find the unknown Audrey. He told her he was too busy preparing his next collection to help.
Audrey asked to try on a few pieces anyway. She emerged from the fitting room in a grey wool suit. Givenchy stared. "From that moment," he later said, "she became my muse."
The partnership lasted 40 years. Givenchy dressed Audrey for Breakfast at Tiffany's (the black column dress), Funny Face (the red off-shoulder gown), and Sabrina (the white embroidered gown that won Edith Head an Oscar — while Head accepted the award, the dress was Givenchy's).
The Breakfast at Tiffany Dress
The black satin gown Audrey Hepburn wears in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) is the most famous little black dress in film history. Designed by Givenchy, cut from Italian satin, with a boat neckline and a back slit, it was originally floor-length. Edith Head shortened it to tea length for the film. Three copies were made for production. One was sold at Christie's in 2006 for £467,200.
What to Hunt
The Bettina blouse (1952): Named after Givenchy's first muse, Bettina Graziani. White cotton with black embroidery on the sleeves. The piece that launched the house. Extremely rare.
1960s cocktail dresses: Givenchy's evening wear from this decade — fitted bodice, full skirt, often in silk faille — is undervalued compared to Dior or Balenciaga. Prices: EUR 800-2,000.
Audrey-era scarf prints: Givenchy produced silk scarves featuring the same prints as his dresses. Look for the floral patterns from the 1960s. Prices: EUR 100-300 — the most accessible entry point.
Ready-to-wear 1970s: Givenchy introduced his first RTW line, Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique, in 1968. Pieces from this line are affordable (EUR 200-600) and extremely wearable.
Authentication
Givenchy labels: 'Givenchy' in block letters for couture, 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique' for RTW. The most valuable pieces have the original client's name written on the interior label — the atelier recorded each commission. A dress with a provenance to a known client (the Duchess of Windsor, Gloria Guinness) commands a 3-5x premium.