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Friday, March 16, 2018

The legacy of Hubert de Givenchy for fashion

Por Nina

Talking about the Golden Age of Haute Couture and the geniuses of 21st century design is talking about Hubert Taffin de Givenchy, also known by the industry as the "last of the fashion aristocrats" (he had the title of Marquis de Givenchy, which he inherited from his father) was one of the most recognized dressmakers in the world for his incredible handling of the clothing and the great ability to print the elegance in each garment that was made. He knew how to adapt the canons of the moment to his exquisite needle and achieved his personal stamp in everything he did.

After his death on March 10, 2018 at 91 years old, another of the fashion greats is leaving. His name will be written in gold letters and his legacy will be eternal. An innovator, a gentleman, a thousand and one qualifiers for this iconic French. Hubert de Givenchy was born on February 21, 1927 in Beauvais (France). He was one of the disciples of the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. The way to implement the architecture to his designs to create what at the end of the forties was known as the structured dress was a great school of which Givenchy learned for the future.

The French designer began his career in 1945 with local designers. In addition, he studied at the Faculty of Law and the School of Fine Arts in Paris but it was not until he met and worked with Elsa Schiaparelli that his life would change immediately.In 1952, he created his own label, Givenchy. His first collection was characterized by the use of very affordable fabrics given the lack of funding. However, it was a success. The name of this collection was Bettina Graziani in reference to the Parisian supermodel of the moment. And one of his most iconic creations and the first was the Bettina blouse in 1953. It is of classic cut, made in masculine fabric and presents some striking ruffles in the sleeves of Spanish inspiration and adorned with English embroidery. It was a true sales success of the time.

It is known that shortly after the death of the designer Jacques Fath, Hubert de Givenchy launched a ready-to-use collection that seeks to be accessible to consumers. However, this trend was born from the industrial revolution and the way in which products were marketed to "facilitate" everyday life. This French designer is considered one of the pioneers of Ready to wear, with the Givenchy Université collection which was made, according to the Trendencias news portal, with industrial sewing machines.

Not only his creativity but his favorite clients were the ones that helped to position the Givenchy label as an international benchmark. Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn became his muses and inspiration. It is said that the French designer ventured into the cinema thanks to his friend Audrey Hepburn. However, his passion for fashion and her incredible friendship with Audrey were only catalysts for Hubert to make incursions into the design of costumes for multiple films. Thus his creativity was captured in unforgettable movies. Among them, we cite only three of the many that starred Audrey Hepburn with a wardrobe created by the French, Breakfast with diamonds (1961), Charade (1963) or Funny Face (1957).

Like many creators, the world of beauty and cosmetics was a field of opportunity for fashion brands in the late fifties and early sixties. In addition to launching a line of accessories, Hubert de Givenchy presented one of its most famous perfumes, the iconic L'Interdit. Then, in 1959, Givenchy created Vetiver. Today, Givenchy Beauty is one of the leading brands in the cosmetics industry and also offers fragrances, makeup and beauty products.

Shortly after he announced his retirement in 1995, the French couturier also inherited a great empire. In 1996, his position as creative director happened at the hands of John Galliano one of the controversial and most famous designers of this era, who took the lead to redefine the aesthetics of the firm and present garments completely removed to the sober aesthetics of the nineties. Later it was followed by another industry legend, Alexander McQueen who gave it that dynamic and underground freshness until 2001 to move on to something more commercial with Julien McDonald. It was not until 2005 that the creative director Riccardo Tisci assumed the creative direction until this 2017. Today, the designer Clare Waight is the current creative director. There is no doubt that Hubert's legacy will remain for a long time.