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 is now regarded as one of the classic dresses of the 20th century.
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 a different actress named Hepburn, but was won over by Audrey.[1][2] 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] It featured a bateau or boat neckline, considered unusual for an Oscar dress.[5]
Reception
The dress, like Hepburn's later little black dress in the 1961 film 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 red carpet dress of all time.[6] Time magazine voted the dress the greatest Oscar dress of all time.[7] Variety magazine's Complete Book of Oscar Fashion placed it among their selections for the Oscar's most beautiful gowns with the header "It's a Cinch!"[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "THE MUSE AND THE MASTER". Time magazine. 17 April 1995. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ a b Chambers, Rachel. "Cinemode: Sabrina: Edith Head vs. Hubert de Givenchy". Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ a b "The 25 Best and Worst Oscar Gowns of All-TIME". Time. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on February 26, 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.
- ^ Chace, Reeve (2003). The complete book of Oscar fashion : Variety's 75 years of glamour on the red carpet. New York, NY: Reed Press. p. 48. ISBN 1594290016. OCLC 53233868.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ Chace 2003, p. 132.
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