The Legacy of Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy Little Black Dress

Happy birthday Audrey Hepburn! One of the world's most beloved actresses and undisputed icons of Old Hollywood, Hepburn was considered the muse of French designer Hubert de Givenchy, to whom she was linked throughout her career by a lasting friendship and professional partnership. The two met on the set of the 1954 film Sabrina when director Billy Wilder turned to Givenchy at the advice of Hepburn after designer Cristóbal Balenciaga refused to create the costumes for the film. The French designer asked Hepburn to choose some dresses from his collection and from that moment on, Givenchy designed most of the clothes worn by the doe-eyed actress in her movies.

Givenchy's most widely recognized design for Hepburn was the little black dress worn by the Belgium-native, British actress in the 1961 romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, where she starred alongside actor George Peppard. In the famous opening scene of Blake Edwards' movie, Hepburn's character, Holly Golightly, is filmed getting out of a yellow cab in a long black satin dress and with a coffee and croissant in hand while observing luxury jewelry store Tiffany and Co.'s windows.

Considered one of the most influential dresses in the history of 20th century clothing and costume design, Givenchy's black cocktail-style frock was the most modern interpretation of the little black dress, following French designer Coco Chanel's introduction of the concept in the 1920s.

But the original version of the Givenchy black dress, which was actually shorter and never worn in the film, has a life of its own, currently residing in the house of Givenchy's archives. Another copy lives at the The Garment Museum in Madrid, and a third was ultimately sold at a Christie's auction in 2006 and purchased by an anonymous buyer for the final sale price of 467,200 pounds ($649,641), with the profits being donated by Givenchy to the City of Joy Aid to benefit those in need in Calcutta, India.

Over the years, the little black dress has been revamped by designers including John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Riccardo Tisci, Clare Waight Keller, and most recently, Matthew Williams, all of whom carried on the creative direction of the illustrious French house in their own way. From McQueen's leather version that modernizes the shift silhouette to Waight Keller's more literal interpretation for her first Haute Couture collection at the helm of the storied fashion house, each designer put their own spin on the iconic look.

Ultimately, Hepburn's little black dress has reinforced its status as a pop culture and fashion staple thanks to other music and movie stars referencing the original style, such as Ariana Grande for Givenchy's Fall/Winter 2019 campaign and Natalie Portman for Harper's Bazaar November 2006 cover photo in which she wears one of the three original versions.

Proof of its enduring prominence, the Givenchy little black dress remains a well-referenced style, and with it, Hepburn's legacy of simple, timeless glamour.