Forever marrying the worlds of film and fashion – Audrey Hepburn’s Little Black Dress.
Sun drenched, deserted, New York City at dawn. The dreamy melody of Moon River sends waves of romance pulsing through us, as a lone yellow cab pulls up to Tiffany & Co on Fifth Ave. To date this remains one of the most iconic opening sequences to a Hollywood movie. Circa 5 am, Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly) makes for an unusual sight as she stands gazing into Tiffany’s, nibbling a croissant breaking all early morning sartorial norms by wearing a tiara atop her impossibly chic chignon, bedecked in a thick pearl necklace, large tortoiseshell sunglasses, and elbow-length gloves. It is almost inconceivable that anything from this kooky assemblage of a scene would become timelessly iconic - cue the Little Black Dress (LBD), perhaps the true star of this La La Land classic.
Possibly the most famous collaboration between couturier and cinema, Givenchy cited Hepburn as his muse. Hepburn in turn lauded the French maestro as “Givenchy’s clothes are the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality.” Although it was Coco Chanel who birthed the concept of the LBD in the 1920’s, it was Givenchy’s conception of the now legendary black dress, embodying both the elegance and nonchalance of Hepburn’s character, which forever anchored the LBD in our minds. Her mystifying personality is perfectly reflected in a floor-length dress which from the front is a simple sleeveless silhouette featuring a sleek bateau neckline whilst in the back features edgy, geometric cut-outs, alluringly framing the nape of her neck. Oozing sophistication and understated glamour, the dress clearly suggests that Holly has been out the night before, hinting at her “wild” side. However, the air of confidence surrounding her as she pit stops at Tiffany’s conveys how bold and unabashed she is. Influences of Givenchy’s time as a designer during haute couture dominated Paris in the 50’s and 60’s along with the simplicity, minimalism and drama which he learnt from his mentor Cristobal Balenciaga were all evident in the dress.
It's believed that only three copies of the dress are still circulating the globe. One is thankfully preserved in the Givenchy atelier, another can be seen in the Costume Museum in Madrid, and a third was auctioned in 2006 for £467,200 (nearly seven times its £70,000 estimate) at Christie’s in London, proceeds of which were donated to the Citè de la Joie children’s foundation in Calcutta.
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