Hubert de Givenchy

After researching the trends of Spring/Summer 2016, one brand particularly caught my eye. Givenchy's SS/2016 looks are original, crazy but beautiful at the same time, which inspired me to choose Givenchy as my brand for this unit. I believe that I will be able to create a range of looks inspired by the SS/2016 Fashion Week trends, allowing me to be diverse when thinking about my ideas. To begin with, I think that it is important for me to look at Givenchy as both a brand, and as a person, to understand what is behind the thoughts and feelings of the designer.

Hubert De Givenchy is the founder of the haute couture fashion house, Givenchy in 1952. Hubert de Givenchy was born in 1927, to an aristocratic family living in Beauvais, France. When Givenchy was just three years old, his father, Lucien, died, so he was brought up by his mother and grandmother.
His love for fashion was undoubtedly inspired by those who brought him up, as in an aristocratic family, being presentable is a very important factor to everyday life. He considered a career in law, but his inner creative pulled him towards becoming a fashion designer. From the age of 17, he was working for top Parisian fashion designers, such as Jacques Fath and Lucien Lelong.

The Bettina Blouse from Givenchy's first collection. 1952.

In 1952, after working for Robert Piguet and Elsa Schiaparelli, Hubert de Givenchy decided to open his own designer fashion brand, using his last name as the label of the brand. He began by releasing a range of floating skirts, and raw cotton blouses, calling the collection 'Les Seperables'. With an amazing critical reception from the likes of Vogue and the New York Times, the house of Givenchy was born. Immediately famous models such as Suzy Parker and Ivy Nicholson wanted to be seen in his clothing, therefore becoming the faces of the brand. Givenchy became known for it's chic, feminine designs, all over the world. In 1956, Givenchy came into contact with Cristobal Balenziaga, a designer whom Givenchy appreciated and admired. They worked together, creating a new loose form waistline named 'The Sack'. From here, Givenchy became the first fashion house to release a ready-to-wear collection, 'Givenchy Universite' featuring the first shirt dress for the new generation of women. After releasing a mens clothing range alongside the womenswear collection, the brand was booming, keeping in line with all fashion trends, and challenging society with his designs. The silhouettes became looser, and the hemline shorter. Givenchy became associates of many celebrities, in particular, the iconic Audrey Hepburn. He, alongside costume designer Edith Head, designed her attire for 'Funny Face' in 1957 and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' in 1961, which started off a great relationship between these two. He worked alongside her for many years, designing many costumes for her in her films. Hepburn was not the only celebrity to work with Givenchy, but also U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Grace of Monaco and Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.

Hubert De Givenchy, aged 25. 

Givenchy's passion for decoration was not only used in his clothing designs, but also within interior design. In the 1970's, Givenchy began to travel, designing the interiors for many Hilton Hotels, and he was even commissioned to design the interior of a Lincoln Continental Mark V. In 1976, Givenchy had it's own offices on New York's Fifth Avenue, which was a huge success. After winning many awards for his business, as well as being elected personality of the year in 1979 and the most elegant man of the year by The Best Magazine, Givenchy celebrated 30 years of the House of Givenchy, organised by Fashion Institute of Technology of New York, and the following year, he is given the name 'Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur'. In 1988, Givenchy joined the LVMH, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and in 1995 Hubert de Givenchy left Givenchy, to be succeeded by many British Fashion Designers such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien MacDonald.
In 2005, Riccardo Tisci was named artistic director of Givenchy, and has since kept the brand in line with the elegant, architectural influences. “Modern women want to be sophisticated and yet also feel powerful and sexy. There are still princesses, but today’s princess no longer rides around with a horse and carriage. She parties, she goes on vacation, she goes on boats. She wants to be dynamic.” (Tisci, 2007)

Riccardo Tisci, 29.

I think that it is important for me to understand the roots of the brand, so completing research on the founder, Hubert de Givenchy, has benefit me. The brand is clearly reminiscent of the elegant aristocrats, but with the help of Riccardo Tisci, has become darker, but still challenging the times. I adore the pieces that are created by the brand, as they bring the iconic Givenchy look together with a dark sensuality that is prominent within the designs.


De Albornoz, C.C. (2013) Givenchy runway Collections—Four seasons magazine. Available at: http://magazine.fourseasons.com/travel-food-style/shopping-style/fashion-trends/givenchy-fashion (Accessed: 15 February 2016).
Bio (no date) Givenchy. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/hubert-de-givenchy-37466#later-career-and-retirement (Accessed: 15 February 2016).
Givenchy (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Givenchy (Accessed: 15 February 2016).