White floral Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn
 | |
| Designer | Givenchy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1954 |
| Type | White floral dress |
Audrey Hepburn wore a white floral Givenchy dress to the Academy Awards in 1954. The dress was the most popular in the day.
History
Audrey Hepburn was a close friend of French designer Hubert de Givenchy, referring to the designer as her "best friend" while he called her a "sister".[1] They originally met in 1953 during shooting for the film Sabrina, when Hepburn went to Paris to acquire an authentic Paris couture dress by Balenciaga for her role.[2] Balenciaga turned her away, advising her to visit his former pupil, Givenchy, who had expected to meet Katharine Hepburn, but was won over by Audrey.[2][1] This led to a lasting professional association, which would see Hepburn wearing Givenchy for seven of her most outstanding movies, as well as regularly wearing his clothes off-screen.[3][4] The belted white floral dress she wore for the 26th annual Academy Awards was the first time audiences saw Hepburn in one of Givenchy's creations.[3]
Design
The white dress had a floral pattern and tight white belt which showed off Hepburn's very slim waistline.[1]
Reception
The dress, like Hepburn's later little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's, is cited as one of the classic dresses of the 20th century. A poll by Debenhams, published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the second most iconic dress of all time.[5] Time magazine voted the dress the greatest Oscar dress of all time.[6] After the Oscar awards, an editorial review of the stylish white belted Givenchy dress worn by Hepburn gave it the title "It's a Cinch".[7]
References
- 1 2 3 "THE MUSE AND THE MASTER". Time magazine. 17 April 1995. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- 1 2 Chambers, Rachel. "Cinemode: Sabrina: Edith Head vs. Hubert de Givenchy". Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- 1 2 "The 25 Best and Worst Oscar Gowns of All-TIME". Time. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
- ↑ Karen Quinn (3 June 2008). Holly Would Dream. Simon and Schuster. pp. 96–. ISBN 978-1-4165-7312-8. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ↑ Urmee Khan (9 October 2008). "Liz Hurley 'safety pin' dress voted the greatest dress". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ↑ "The 25 Best and Worst Oscar Gowns of All-TIME". Time magazine. 17 April 1995. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ↑ Reeve Chace (October 2003). The Complete Book of Oscar Fashion: Variety's 75 Years of Glamour on the Red Carpet. Reed Press. ISBN 978-1-59429-001-5. Retrieved 17 May 2011.