Hubert de Givenchy was born in Beauvais in 1927, at the age of 17 he left Paris to follow his dreams in Fashion. He attended art school and began to work for different designers, quickly gaining success through his fashion sense. Givenchy’s first designs were done for Jacques Fath in 1945. Later he did designs for Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong, working alongside the still-unknown Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior. From 1947 to 1951 he worked for the Avantgarde designer Elsa Schiaparelli. In 1952 he then found one of the most successful house in the history of fashion. His fashion house was known for its reputation for his incredible stand on fashion history by presenting his chic and feminine collection.
Hubert de Givenchy was known for launching one of the first ready-to-wear collections and his affiliation with actress Audrey Hepburn, who wore his designs in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Charade, and other films. Givenchy also met his idol, Cristóbal Balenciaga. And was inspired by Haute Couture and began to shift some of his designs making his mark in Haute Couture as well. The U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was also seen in Givenchy for a visit to the Palace of Versailles in 1961. Givenchy was also recognized for his After Givenchy retired in the 1990s, the English designer John Galliano was hired as lead designer for the couture house; when Galliano moved to the House of Dior, he was replaced by Alexander McQueen, another English designer. Italian designer Riccardo Tisci took the reigns in 2005. Clare Waight Keller is now the creative director of the fashion house since the Resort 2018 collection.
THEN
On February1952, Hubert de Givenchy presented his very first collection. He surrounded himself with the best models of the day, who also happened to be his friends: Bettina Graziani also served as his head of public relations.
Bettina opened the show with what would become the famous “Bettina blouse”. This collection was youthful and fresh, like the rest of the collection, this white linen blouse with ruffled sleeves and embroidery by Pierre Brivet was worn with a skirt in Hurel gabardine.
Another cool fact is that it’s said to be that the designs for this collection were entirely made out of men’s clothes and fabric. This collection was made on the budget because of financial reasons but it didn’t stop his success and exposure to the fashion world.
NOW
In comparison to Givenchy’s past collection you could see similarities between designs that are decades apart. From the texture, line, and style Givenchy’s designs are recognizable. The edgy yet chic blends perfectly between the colors of choice. Overall when I think about Givenchy I imagine women warriors because that’s the type of feel Givenchy serves, especially on the runways.
The influences seem to revolve around patterns, textures and the environment through use of colors. I also think that the most recent designs especially haute couture are influenced by current trends that emerge from cultures, media and more. Givenchy is highly favored by celebrities and influencers all over the world. And these celebrities carry out some of there style that are influenced by the brands aesthetic and also allows high fashion to reach different valued markets.