How Hubert de Givenchy shaped an iconic aesthetic

Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy loved to dress women. All women. And although he learned his craft under the tutelage of some of the greatest designers of his time, it was the beauties he clothed that catapulted him to fashion fame. Givenchy, more than any other, was a designer whose close relations with his famous clients shaped a modern type of a maven—and fittingly so.

Born in 1927, at the age of seventeen Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy left his birthplace in Beauvais, France for Paris, where he worked with prestigious predecessors to lay the foundation for his inimitable career. In 1952, foreseeing a trend in the relaxed-chic look and an overall dwindling interest in luxury, Givenchy launched a line of light skirts and puff-sleeved blouses made from raw cotton, a fabric previously reserved for fittings only. Two years later he was the first major fashion designer to present a luxury ready-to-wear line, and soon enough his fashions were de rigeur from the salons of Paris to the streets of New York.

With Hollywood's brightest stars acting as his muses and ambassadors, Givenchy seamlessly parlayed his way into costume design in the 1950s. This endeavor proved to be a wild success: the productions he outfitted are today considered some of the most fashionable films of all time. While the allure of his gowns and leisure ensembles were lighting up the silver screen, Givenchy was also defining a new kind of beauty—sleek silhouettes accentuating narrow hips, a willowy body, and a swan's neck—that would become his iconic calling card.

During the 1950s and 60s, the world's most well-heeled It girls couldn't get enough of the glamorous Givenchy aesthetic. Included in his list of devotees were A-list actresses, international royalty, tabloid princesses, and First Ladies.

In 1957, at the advice of his colleague and friend Cristobal Balenciaga, Givenchy launched his own perfumery division. Its first success was the women's fragrance, L'Interdit, which was inspired and promoted (gratis!) by one of the couturier's muses. Not long after, the designer unveiled his first two men's fragrances, L'eau de Vétiver and Monsieur de Givenchy, making Parfums Givenchy a strong presence in the scent scene for decades to come.

Today, the Givenchy beauty range boasts full fragrance, makeup, and skincare collections, all of which uphold the designer's luxurious ideals of style. And with a modern day fashion plate as the belle behind the brand, it's no wonder why the star label is still shining brightly.