Inside the Brand: Givenchy

The hauntingly beautiful actress wore a high-waisted white lace dress with a neat belt to the 1954 Academy Awards, where she won Best Actress for Roman Holiday. She was loudly acclaimed by the American press for being the best-dressed actress at the event thanks to the simplicity of her dress, compared to the fussy outfits of the other nominees.

For the iconic 1957 film Funny Face, Hepburn wore Givenchy in almost every scene. From a neat black dress and matching hat complete with an armful of balloons to the glorious ‘winged victory’ red chiffon dress she wears as she saunters down the steps of the Louvre, Hepburn looked absolutely fabulous. See our other favourite iconic dresses on film.

Alexander McQueen was a controversial choice for creative director when he took over from John Galliano in 1996. McQueen was famous for his avant-garde designs and many feared he would take Givenchy away from its classic roots. It goes without saying that he exceeded expectations and elevated the brand to new heights with his innovative designs, many of the most memorable coming in the SS98 collection, when he unleashed rain on the catwalk to highlight his white, shimmery pieces. The most notable is a delicate and racy number with a high collar and revealing sides. The dress gracefully fell on the front of the model’s breasts, but left the sides bare and for all to see.

Launched in 2006, the Nightingale bag was Riccardo Tisci’s first It item. It proved an immediate hit with the young fashion set of Hollywood at the time, including the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie, who were rarely pictured without the signature slouchy handbag.

This iconic AW10 catwalk show has become numerous designers’ inspiration over the past six years. Peter Dundas, Roberto Cavalli and Zuhair Murad have all spoken openly about how they were deeply moved by the collection and how they have tried to recreate the aesthetic in subsequent shows of their own. Tisci took Givenchy into a new, romantic era with this haute couture collection. An especially striking piece was the heavily embroidered, revealing, silver dress with a feathered skirt.