Givenchy

Hubert de Givenchy (1927 – 2018) started his fashion career in 1945 with Lucien Lelong. He also trained with Robert Piguet, Jacques Fath, and Schiaparelli before he opened his own house in 1952. He was only 25 years old.

Givenchy was a great admirer of Balenciaga, with whom he had a very close personal and professional relationship. They influenced each other’s work, as is evidenced in the development of the sack dress in the late 1950s.

Starting in 1954 with the movie Sabrina, he designed for Audrey Hepburn and he continued to design for her throughout her career. The story is that Hepburn went to Givenchy’s couture house, looking for some dresses to wear in Sabrina. Upon hearing that Miss Hepburn was in the house, Givenchy assumed that the visitor was Katherine Hepburn. He was so busy preparing for his upcoming show, that he told her he could not design the outfits, but that she was welcome to look through the racks of clothing left over from a previous show. The clothes Audrey Hepburn selected went on to win a Best Designer Oscar (though the award went to Edith Head, as the official designer of the movie) and Hepburn and Givenchy went on to become the best of friends.

Givenchy did licenses early on in his career. He designed 23 Orlon sweaters for Talbott in 1955 and they were introduced at his spring 1955 Paris collection. In 1968 Givenchy started a ready-to-wear line, Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique. In the late 1970s, his Givenchy Sport line was widely worn on the Charlie’s Angels TV program.

Givenchy retired in 1996. John Galliano became head designer at the House of Givenchy, but the next year he was replaced by Alexander McQueen. In 2001, Julien Macdonald became head designer. His last collection for Givenchy was Fall 2004. Riccardo Tisci was named the new designer in March, 2005, with his first collection presented for Spring 2006. In 2017, Clare Waight Keller became the house’s first woman head designer.

Written by fuzzylizzie

See vintage Givenchy from VFG members on Etsy (paid link)

from an early 1950s dress

Courtesy of gadabout

from an early-1950s hat

Courtesy of Rue de la Paix

from a 1958 couture dress

Courtesy of kickshawproductions

from a 1950s dress

Courtesy of tastyvintage

from a 1950s dress

Courtesy of thevintagepeddler

from a 1950s hat

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1955 sweater

Courtesy of listitcafe

from a 1950s wool tweed coat

Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing

from a late 1950s / early 1960s tie

Courtesy of cemetarian

from a c. 1962 coat

Courtesy of kickshawproductions

from a 1960s couture dress

Courtesy of Claire Shaeffer

from a 1960s couture dress

Courtesy of Claire Shaeffer

from a 1960s silk scarf

Courtesy of Vintagiality

from a 1960s/70s tie

Courtesy of atticville.com

c 1965;NOT from Givenchy;prob from Korean tailor

Courtesy of prater28

from a late 1960s couture pants set

Courtesy of Claire Shaeffer

Look carefully for handwritten numbers

Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from a 1970s couture coat

Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from a 1973 shirt

Courtesy of glamoursurf

from a 1970s jacket

Courtesy of morning-glorious

from a 1970s blouse

Courtesy of thespectrum

from a 1970s logo sweater

Courtesy of couturallurevintage.com

from a late 1970s/early 1980s dress

Courtesy of chezmov

from a 1980s dress

Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from a 1980s nightgown

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s day dress

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1980s dress

Courtesy of pinupdresses

from a 1980s coat

Courtesy of EBTH.com

from a 1980s couture jacket

Courtesy of claireshaeffer

from a 1980s dress

Courtesy of chezmov

from a 1980s demi-couture skirt suit

Courtesy of Augusta Auctions

from a 1980s tie

Courtesy of AntiqueTrader

from a mid 1980s jacket

Courtesy of cjsredcloset

from a late 1980s/early 1990s swimsuit

Courtesy of chezmov

from a 1990s evening mini

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a late 1990s pleated skirt

Courtesy of hauteheaven