Tuesday 21 February 2017

The odour of silk, the feel of velvet, the crackle of a satin



















“The allure, the odour of silk, the feel of velvet, the crackle of a satin – what intoxication!”

"The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress."

“To have style is to have a feeling for what is currently fashionable, and still to simultaneously remain true to oneself.”

“Dressing a woman is to make her more beautiful - isn't that the point of it all?”


He was adored by the superstar "celebrities" of his day; the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly relied upon him to provide their classy public image, and Audrey Hepburn (for whom he designed that little black dress for Breakfast at Tiffany's) would not wear clothes by another designer. One of his mega-rich clients, a certain Bunny Mellon, even had him design her gardening clothes.

Revered as one of the greatest couturiers of modern times, he celebrates his 90th birthday today.

Many happy returns, Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy (born 21st February 1927)

8 comments:

  1. They don't make them like him anymore kid.

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  2. Now there's a man who just breathes iconic style... Happy Birthday Mr G...

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  3. Givenchy, Dior and Balmain all got their start at Lucien Lelong who was generous and gave them creative freedom in fashion, he influenced them so. Haute Couture owes Lelong the master, beaucoup. -Rj

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    1. Lelong was a fascinating man. A couturier who did not design nor create the gowns for his fashion house, it is no wonder he nurtured true creatives such as Dior, Balmain and Givenchy. He was also notorious for his homosexual affairs yet married three times... Jx

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