History Of Givenchy

Givenchy

"His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality," Hubert de Givenchy's muse Audrey Hepburn said of the designer.

• In 1927, he was born Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy to an aristocratic family in the French city of Beauvais. The family's nobility stemmed from his father's side from the 18^th Century, and artistic professions ran through his mother's hereditary line. Having lost his father in 1930, he was raised largely by his mother and maternal grandmother from whom he inherited his passion for fabrics. Inspired, Givenchy left his hometown at the age of 17 for the vibrant opportunities of Paris.

• The designer's statuesque height - he was 6' 6" - made an immediate impression on Paris, where he soon made a name for himself as a talent to watch.
• In 1952, he established his couture house, la Maison Givenchy, launching his debut Separatescollection of light floor-length skirts and stunning blouses including the feted Bettina Blouse, named after model of the day Bettina Graziani. Two years later in 1954, Givenchy became the first couturier to present a luxury ready-to-wear line.
• 1957 was also the year in which Givenchy launched his first perfume, L'interdit. Promoted by Hepburn, its success soared, hitting headlines as the first time the world had seen an actress as the face of a perfume.

• Selling his business to Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey in 1988, and retiring in 1995, Givenchy was succeeded by widely celebrated and innovative designers including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Julien Macdonald, and Riccardo Tisci  - who now stands at the helm of the Givenchy empire, as the creative director for the Givenchy haute couture and ready-to-wear collections.

Time Line...

• 1970

  Designed by Pierre Dinand, everything about the Givenchy logo evokes balance, stability and enduring quality. It unites the symbolism of the square and the number 4, and also signifies methodical order, loyalty and solidity. A veritable workaholic known for his unwavering loyalty to his friends, Hubert de Givenchy could not have chosen a better number to represent his personality. The square is one of the fundamental symbolic figures in design, along with the circle. It represents stabilisation in perfection and symbolises all creative activity in the realm of time and space.

  
  
  

  1989

  Right from the beginning, Givenchy’s image has been associated with colour and gaiety. With the founding in 1989 of Givenchy Beauté, the brand became even more intimately associated with women’s beauty. The Prisme concept became a symbol of Givenchy makeup. Prisme contains four delicately sculpted powders of different shades, which can be mixed together by running the brush over them. It is packaged in a square black case decorated with a stylised 4G logo in colour.

  2005

  With the new Givenchy Le Makeup line, Givenchy demonstrated its desire to be present at every moment in a woman’s life by combining high performance and innovative textures with an exceptional palette of colours. Givenchy Le Makeup offers this clever, delightfully concentrated makeup in luxurious packaging with micro-accessories. To develop future collections, Nicolas Degennes works closely with the Givenchy laboratories to research into innovative formulas and textures, as well as colours and shine control. To better enable women to look naturally seductive.

  2006
  

  Prisme Libre loose powder is a fusion of four complimentary, complexion refining shades that together, create a natural, unified, enhanced finish. Upon application, imperfections are diminished and skin is more even and porcelain in nature, with a lasting, luminous, matte finish.

  2008

  In 2008, Nicolas Degennes reinvented mascara with Phenomen’Eyes, offering a high-precision application technique using a round brush in a brand new, daring design. Phenomen'Eyes' iconic, spherical brush provides 360° application that captures every lash, even the most difficult to reach. The result is precise, the definition is extreme, with lashes that are fanned-out to infinity.

  2010

  A Givenchy classic. This legendary Prisme includes four shadows in shimmer and glitter finishes to shade, define and highlight for eyes that dazzle. With six, refined color harmonies to choose from, each comprised of two contour shadows, one base and one highlighter, plus a slide out drawer that includes a mirror and three professional applicators, the possibilities are endless!

  In 2010, Givenchy broke through skincare codes by developing the first “age-defying cosmetic vaccine”, Vax’In For Youth.

  2013

  Teint Couture Fluid's lightweight texture glides over the skin to diffuse imperfections and impart a luminous, smoothing veil. Its fine and silky formula provides custom coverage. Givenchy Teint Couture Compact is an all-in-one foundation that feels luxurious and is easy to use. It's ultra fine, second-skin feel floats on the surface of the skin and never appears heavy or cakey. Teint Couture's universal illuminating pink tone inspired runway shows, is the key to its luminous finish. Ultra-chic, Tient Couture's elegant, leather, clutch-like case encompasses all of the hallmarks of Haute Couture, right down to the zipper pattern embossed in the powder.

  2013

  More than a lipstick. Encased in an elegant silver and leather tube, Le Rouge is a rich with luxe pigments that coat the lips with radiant, lasting color with a single stroke. The lightweight, ultra-smooth, non-sticky texture glides on to softly shape and contour the lips, beautifully.

  2015

  In Leather. In Colors. The ultimate Couture lipstick reinvents itself with a balmy and sensorial texture…  The perfect balance between lipstick and lip care, this ultra-elegant leather-clad whipped lipstick is your best ally for a casual chic, ready-to-wear look. Like all must-have fashion accessories, it comes in a wide palette of 16 shades, from the most nude to the most sophisticated.