Audrey Hepburn’s enchantment by no means appears to dim, and a brand new biography in regards to the late Oscar-winning actress is additional proof of that.
Tom Santopietro’s just-out “Audrey Hepburn: A Lifetime of Stunning Uncertainty” affords not often shared particulars, images and vignettes about her life and never simply throughout the Hollywood period. The waifish magnificence additionally was a World Struggle II resistance activist and unwavering UNICEF supporter. The Rowman & Littlefield tome additionally includes a good dose of style, because of the designer Jeffrey Banks.
Having identified Hepburn as a pal, Banks stated he had by no means needed to put in writing a e book in regards to the extremely non-public actress. However after being approached by Santopietro to serve up some style insights for the brand new biography and assist choose related images, he agreed to it. The New York-based designer first met Hepburn in Could 1982, when the Vogue institute of Know-how hosted a dinner dance in honor of Hubert de Givenchy’s thirtieth yr in enterprise. Having worn Givenchy ensembles for such movies as “Sabrina,” “Humorous Face,” “Love within the Afternoon,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Charade” and “Love Amongst Thieves,” the actress was stated to be such a devotee that she had favored his perfume too.
Banks’ first encounter with Hepburn on the black tie affair in New York Metropolis was not by likelihood. Months upfront, Banks — who was on FIT’s board of trustees at the moment — purchased the desk that was proper subsequent to the pinnacle one the place Hepburn was to be seated. His strategic method included rounding up a bunch of well-dressed friends and stashing a bouquet of pink roses below the desk. “One would name it a ‘bouquet,’ but it surely was extra like a small bush of roses,” Banks stated on Monday in an interview, including that the Givenchy govt, who oversaw its North American division at the moment, launched him to the actress — with roses in hand.
As for the Hepburn and Givenchy connection, Banks recalled how the actress had instructed to director Billy Wilder that she journey to Paris to decide on a wardrobe for “Sabrina,” because the “Sabrina Fairchild” character, the daughter of a chauffeur, that she was portraying had hung out there. Having heard that Givenchy was an up-and-coming couturiere, she organized to pay him a go to in Paris. The designer presumed that “Miss Hepburn” could be the extra established actress Katharine Hepburn, however was “enchanted” simply the identical, Banks stated.
The duvet of the brand new Audrey Hepburn biography.
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For Santopietro’s e book, the plan was to decide on a signature search for every chapter. Banks famous how Hepburn wore just a few Givenchy designs in her breakout function within the 1954 movie “Sabrina,” together with the strapless white silk organza robe that she was photographed in that’s on the e book’s cowl. (Ivanka Trump was so enamored with the design that she wore a high fashion reproduction of the Givenchy costume to the presidential inaugural balls in January.)
Banks additionally recalled how Hepburn had invited Givenchy to the movie’s premiere, however as they sat at midnight watching the credit roll, solely Paramount Footage’ costume designer Edith Head was credited. “Mortified,” Hepburn then made it level to have it written into her contract that Givenchy could be credited with any future work, stated Banks, who added that Head additionally had received an Oscar for costume design for “Sabrina.”
Noting how “Humorous Face” is a favourite with the style crowd together with himself, Banks stated, “It has every little thing — Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, [George] Gershwin music, Paris, [the lead male character’s inspiration Richard] Avedon and Givenchy.” Hepburn as soon as defined that Givenchy’s garments have been like “armour,” and made her really feel that she may do something on the display screen, in keeping with Banks.
Nicely conscious of how Hepburn stays a mode setter greater than 32 years after her demise, Banks cited how she ushered in such lasting classics because the little black costume, ballet flats and pearls. All of this stuff are within the style lexicon as a result of Audrey wore them first, Banks stated. “And ladies have by no means stopped sporting them.”