a missed exhibit

I'm busy working on improving the website for you, but while searching for a lost picture, I stumbled across this sweet blog. It's very nice overall, but here's one thing I missed completely: an Audrey exhibit in Paris last year! To coincide with the auction of still more costumes and personal wardrobe, an exhibit was set up at the end of last year in Paris, and the author of Parisian Party of course went. And took very gorgeous pictures, and knows her stuff. I don't want to swipe any of her pictures, so you'll just have to visit her site for yourself. Link directly to the Audrey exhibit here.

Speaking of things I've missed, when the most famous dress in the world, the long black Breakfast at Tiffany's dress, was auctioned in 2006 it was widely publicised when someone wore it. The model for Christie's, seen out and about modeling on the streets, was published everywhere. When Natalie Portman posed in it for Harper's Bazaar, I bought a copy to carefully cut apart, scan and share with you. But for some reason I heard nothing about model Georgia Frost modeling the gown for ES Magazine! Thankfully, I happened to stumble across Style Bubble, who has pictures and a brief write-up for your viewing pleasure.

Givenchy still has the eye

At the age of 83, Hubert de Givenchy is still very active in the world of fashion. Though he may have sold his couture house to LVMH, he is still only truly at home when he is designing, talking about design - or curating an extraordinary collection of gowns in a French chateau.

Running now through August 17, if you are around the Lorraine region of France, feel free to drop by Château de Haroué, a modest 82 room bungalow (chateau actually means castle in French, and the French do not use that term lightly!). It is there that you will find a carefully chosen bevy of gowns designed by Paris's most renowned designers: Balenciaga, Venet, and Givenchy himself. The surroundings are astounding, the gowns are divine, and as an added bonus, the long black column dress Audrey Hepburn wore in the beginning credits of Breakfast at Tiffany's - Givenchy's own copy, and one of the three originals - will be on display for your pleasure.

Can anyone make this trip? It's about 4 hours outside of Paris, for those in and around the area, and I'm sure your fellow fans are just dying to see some photographs. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it: I'm doing quite a lot of traveling this year and I'm already stretching myself thin as it is! But still, to see that gown in person, finally ...

Special thanks to Kendal, for typing out the original article on this exhibit, as found in the May issue of Vanity Fair (with Grace Kelly as cover girl).

The It Dress

Hello strangers! I have not forgotten you, never fear. Instead, I've been busy. As usual. Amongst this busyness is completely revamping the website from the ground up, so rest assured that this is for your benefit. :)

Anyway, my friend Natalia sent me a fantastic little article this morning, and I just had to share. A recent survey was taken out on the most iconic female screen outfit of all time, and Holly Golightly's long black evening gown beat out some stiff competition to come out on top. The long little black dress even beat Marilyn Monroe's unforgettable halter neck dress from The Seven Year Itch and Keira Knightley's stunning green gown from Atonement. You can read the article, courtesy of The Daily Mail, here, and see who else rounded out the top ten.

It's nice to see that 50 years on, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Audrey and Givenchy are still as influential as ever. As Coco Chanel once said: "Fashion fades, only style remains the same."

Audrey Auctions

Now that I'm laid up in bed for a day, I have time to share some auction news with you! (Before I must finish some homework, that is.) First, Lyon & Turnbull on London just had a rather large Modern and Contemporary Art auction yesterday, and featured a few pictures of Audrey photographed by Bob Willoughby and a couple other photographers. From what I can tell, two of the five prints were sold, and went for £400 and £600, not a bad price! If you're curious to see which photographs were up on the block you can go here and scroll down to Lot 131. The entire auction was quite diverse, with everything from fashion prints to Picasso sketches.

The next auction in question will happen sometime in December through Kerry Taylor Auctions, and will feature quite a lot of Audrey's wardrobe, over 30 pieces. This alone is pretty exciting, but it also seems that most of the clothing in this auction is Givenchy, which is even better. There are a few film wardrobe pieces, including that divine black lace dress from How to Steal a Million (right) and a black dress worn for Paris When It Sizzles promo shots, and even some accessories and personal letters from the very early days of her career. It looks to be an exciting auction that will most likely drum up a fair amount of press, so keep an eye out on the newsstands for some neat articles and pictures. You can read more about the auction via the Telegraph (and thanks to Kendal for sending the link!), and keep checking Kerry Taylor's website for more information as the date gets closer. I'm sure the lot will be featured in the Passion For Fashion auction beginning December 8, and you can order a catalogue if you'd like through the site.

How to be your own fashion guru

There are no two ways around it: Audrey Hepburn is a style icon. But what makes her an icon? What can you do to be your own style icon? According to Nina Garcia's new book, The Little Black Book of Style, you just have to be yourself. What makes the great fashion icons -- Audrey, Jackie O., Marilyn Monroe -- stand out from the crowd is the fact that they ultimately forgot about what was in fashion from season to season and focused on what worked best for them, building their own style. Garcia and Givenchy think the same: both have said that anyone can be in fashion, buying the latest looks, but not everyone has style, knowing what works for them and making it their own.

Since we're online and you can't really flip through the book to decide if it's worth the buy or not, the author has done the next best thing (for you) and written an article in the Daily Mail, putting some of the best tips in this article for free. The clothing tips at the bottom are excellent, all focusing on timeless clothes and accessories that will never go out of style, yet always look stylish and elegant and come in enough varieties to work with any body type. You can go here to read the article. Get inspired to become your own style icon!

Ralph Lauren and Audrey Hepburn

During her later years in life, Audrey Hepburn gave Givenchy a break and started to dress more casually. For her Gardens of the World series, and for her numerous UNICEF trips, she favoured Ralph Lauren's stylish yet casual Polo shirts and khaki pants with Keds flats to get her through the day. She became quite chummy with Ralph as well, and even presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award (through the Council for American Fashion Designers, left) in 1992.

Now Lauren has released a new coffee table book, Ralph Lauren, and Audrey's speech about Ralph's work is featured as the forward. At about 500 pages it's quite the coffee table book, but everyone seems to love it so far. The elusive Ralph Lauren himself was even onhand to sign copies this past week in New York. You can read more about Lauren's work and the book here, if you'd like.

"Gossip Girl" hearts Audrey Hepburn

By now you've all seen the screengrabs from a recent episode of "Gossip Girl" where main character Blair dreams that she's Holly Golightly in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Apparently, Blair is something of a fan of Audrey throughout the show, because reader Cris wrote and asked if I had a copy of the picture Blair has hanging above her bed, which is Audrey Hepburn in profile. I had to watch an episode to see it, but here's the picture in question:


Hope this made your day, Cris! And any other "Gossip Girl"/Audrey fans looking for that picture. And here's a fun bit of trivia for you: this picture is part of a series Audrey did where she modeled hats for her friend and designer, Givenchy.

Special edition Funny Face out today!

I'd just like to remind everybody that two new Audrey Hepburn goodies were released today. The first is the highly anticipated 50th anniversary Funny Face, which has new featurettes, including a retrospective on Audrey and Givenchy's lifelong friendship and partnership. It looks to be at least as good as the special anniversary edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's, so either order your copy today or be sure to put it on your wish list! The holidays are coming before you know it, and there are plenty of new goods coming out to make sure you have an excellent holiday.

The Audrey Hepburn 5-pack is also out today. This is a great gift for the new Audrey fan who maybe hasn't seen a lot of her films or doesn't own any yet. With pretty much all of her classics (Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Paris When It Sizzles) in one pretty box, this is easily the best gift ever. It's quite affordable, too, so it's a great idea to keep in mind when you're doing your holiday shopping or November/December birthday shopping.

The Golden Age of Couture now open

Just a quick reminder to Audrey's UK fans that "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957" is now open at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. I first mentioned this exhibit back in March when I first heard about it,* but since then the Museum has put up a special website dedicated to the exhibit. It's really nice because it has a fraction of the collection up for viewing, and a Givenchy couture gown is one of the featured, a beautiful one at that. From the site you can send e-cards with preselected pictures of couture items, and book tickets if you're available to go. The coolest part of all is that you can download and print out a pattern for a couture-inspired dress, which you can then make at home! If you're really into shoes, there is also a competition to send in your original shoe designs for a chance to have your design shown on the V&A website. Intrigued? Click here to see more.

*Reminder: the blue cape Audrey wore in Funny Face is on display at this exhibit.

Audrey Hepburn: A Life In Pictures review

Anova Books, the publishing house that is releasing the new picture book Audrey Hepburn: A Life In Pictures this November, was kind enough to send me an advance copy of the book to review for this site. I found it waiting on my doorstep for me after a hard day at work, so I took the cat (and the book) outside and gave it a good going-over. It's a beautifully bound hardcover book, and after a short and very sweet introduction by Hubert de Givenchy and a biography on Audrey, the rest is beautiful pictures! Most are full-page photos, and lots of the photos featured in the book are either completely new or else larger reproductions of great pictures I've only been able to find as a tiny, pixelated thumbnail somewhere online. It was so great to sit out in the sun and relax with some quality Audrey eye candy after a draining day, and this book will make a perfect coffee table book for anyone, new or old fan.

I'll write a more in-depth review in a little bit and that will be the permanent review on the reviews page, and maybe take some pictures of the book to post here and tease you with. :) Don't forget that the book will be released on November 1st in the US, and you can pre-order here through Amazon. For those of you in the UK it will come out on September 4th, you lucky dogs, and you can pre-order here.

Extra special thanks to Rebecca at Anova for being sweet enough to send me a copy of this fantastic book. I'm not overexaggerating when I say that you've made my year, darling!

*Note: I know updates here have been few and far between, and I both apologize for my spottiness and thank everyone for being so patient. I'm working really hard on not working so much (outside of Fab Audrey, that is), so I can devote more time to this and the things I really enjoy in life. Like all things Audrey. :) Thank you again for your patience and I will make it up to all of you!

rare insight into Audrey Hepburn

There's a new video on You Tube from a made-for-TV biography that I don't think I've ever seen. The clip that was uploaded was from a Chinese airing, but maybe it's been aired in English-speaking countries? Either way, it's fantastic interviews with Mel Ferrer, Henry Mancini (composer of "Moon River"), Stanley Donen (director of Funny Face and Two For the Road), and Hubert de Givenchy. It's a really fascinating segment to watch and gives more insight into Audrey's career and relationships with these men, you really just have to see it to appreciate it. I certainly can't do it justice!

50th Anniversary edition of Funny Face coming soon!

Great news from loyal reader Bill! The release of a 50th anniversary special edition of Funny Face (Region 1) has been announced, with a release date of October 2nd. This new DVD will feature a few items already seen on the original DVD -- the Paramount in the 1950s featurette, original theatrical trailer, and photo galleries -- plus a few new featurettes, including a cryptically named Parisian Dreams and a new piece on Givenchy and Audrey called A Fashion Designer and His Muse. You can already pre-order through Amazon so you'll be sure not to forget, and it's close enough to the holidays so you can put it on your wish list without having to wait too long. Mark your calendars!

Speaking of Givenchy, I came across this story recently. Apparently, the fashion guru is of the personal belief that fashion in and of itself is dead. People seem to only be fixating on popular accessories and following mindless fads, rather than spending the time (and money) to actually find what works on you as an individual and look good. It's a great read, though fairly short, and I agree with him on all accounts. If I could afford it, he could dress me every day of the week. :)

House of Givenchy still inspired by Audrey Hepburn

It's been over 50 years since Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy met, changing the course of fashion forever. While it may be ancient history to some people, it's nice to see that even now Audrey is influencing Givenchy, though in a slightly different way. This fall, the Givenchy 2007 makeup collection will feature subtle nods to the one and only Audrey. For example, the 9-colour eyeshadow collection to the left features an Audrey mantra, "Style for Life," etched into the mirror. There are other goodies that also feature Audrey quotes, along with two shades of lipstick that I'm fairly sure are Audrey-inspired or worn (they're called Interdit, and her personal perfume was called L'Interdit), but I'll let you peruse for yourself at Makeup Bag, where I found all of this fantastic stuff.

Sometimes it pays to be a girl, doesn't it, ladies? :)

Audrey Hepburn's pink cocktail dress sold for $192,000

Today was the big Christie's auction for yet another round of Audrey Hepburn memorabilia. This time the big seller was a hot pink cocktail dress actually worn by Audrey during filming of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and sold for nearly ten times its estimated selling price of $20,000-30,000 US dollars. The winner of the dress was a European bidder who wished to remain anonymous. If you remember, the same thing happened with the black dress sold last December, and it eventually came out that it was bought by the House of Givenchy, so maybe the identity will be revealed in time.

Also sold today in the same auction was an autographed Sabrina publicity photo, which went for $1,920; a rare photograph of Audrey in Switzerland taken by photographer Sanford Roth, which sold for $720; a photo of Audrey and her Yorkshire terrier Mr. Famous, also taken by Sanford Roth, which sold for $960; and a batch of costumes which included a dress worn by Audrey for the TV movie Love Among Thieves, which sold for $1,920.

When I have a little bit more time (possibly Friday), I'll put up a special page on the website similar to the page I made for the first Christie's auction that will have more detailed information on each item that was auctioned off today, as well as its estimated price and actual selling price. So stay tuned! In the meantime, there are two good articles out about the auction so far: the first is from Rugby Review Today, and the second is from the International Herald Tribune.

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957

There's a new fashion exhibit coming to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in September that's all about the golden age of modern fashion: 1947-1957, the ten year span when fashion went from war utilitarian to post-war lushness. While it seems that the exhibit will feature mostly Dior pieces, Givenchy's pieces will be on display. Specifically, a replica of the bright blue cape Audrey Hepburn wore in Funny Face will be shown, along with fashion portraits by Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon (and perhaps some Audrey portraits?). You can read more about the exhibit and the designers that will be featured here, and The Independent has another article that goes more into fashion in general during that period.

Lucky London, they're having all the Audrey luck lately!

"She would have approved"

There's another fantastic article about the new City of Joy Aid school in India today from the Independent Online, which you can read here. I honestly think it's the best article yet on the subject. It has a glowing review of the school and the hope it will provide (along with future schools) for the children in the smaller villages of India, and also has great things to say about Audrey's own work with UNICEF during her last years. If it doesn't bring even a small tear to your eye, you may want to get your heart checked.

There's also news coverage from L.A.'s K-CAL 9 news, which you can see here. There's really nothing new in it, and it unfortunately doesn't have any footage of the dedication ceremony or any footage from India, but it's at least nice to see that the event is getting major media coverage (even if they can't pronounce Givenchy's name right).

And to continue with the Audrey Hepburn humanitarian vein, here is a clip of Audrey for an interview she did talking about her work with UNICEF, especially in Ethiopia: "UNICEF is giving them a spade, let us say, to dig their water wells. Let it not be to dig the graves for their children."

a belated happy birthday to Givenchy!

Hubert de Givenchy turned 80 on February 21, and I was silly enough to miss it. So a belated Happy Birthday to Audrey's good friend, protector, and the hidden half of Audrey Style. I hope it was a good day for you.

Audrey Hepburn's little black dress does big things

On December 5, 2006, Audrey Hepburn's little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's sold for a record-breaking £467,200. The dress, one of three copies made by Givenchy for the film, was donated by Hubert de Givenchy himself to friend Dominique Lapierre, a French author who also runs City of Joy Aid with his wife. The proceeds from the sale -- the dress was bought by the house of Givenchy, now owned by LVMH -- were to go entirely to City of Joy, and already the results are showing themselves. 15 educational centers for children are set to be opened in India from this money, and one center in Lakshikautapur is currently being built. These centers are designed to teach children English when they would normally never see the inside of a school, and would instead be bullied into mob work. You can read more about the amazing Lapierres and their work here, and you can read a smaller article about other works City of Joy does here.

Very Irrésistible

I'm a little bored right now, so I've been scanning haute couture websites to see what I can find. Once in a while I'll stop by the Givenchy website to see how things are going, and I've found the Very Irrésistible fragrance line. I believe it's fairly new, since products in its range are still coming out, but it's worth noting because this fragrance was created to mark Givenchy's return to their roots: namely, the relationship between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, and how together they made an image. I haven't sniffed it yet, since the fragrance section of department stores always make me nervous, but this fragrance does contain star anise and a specially cultivated Liv Tyler rose. Here's the full copy for Very Irrésistible:

Givenchy is the story of an unforgettable encounter between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn.
The Givenchy perfume house is paying tribute to its roots anchored in the world of fashion and cinema.

This unique mix of French elegance and American spontaneity, called the Givenchy "Twist", gave birth to Very Irrésistible Givenchy.

To be irresistible is not something you can choose: you just are!
It is uncalculated, a state of mind, a certain innocence, a very special smile, a twist, a certain "je-ne-sais-quoi". At Givenchy, it's a fragrance.

Very Irrésistible Givenchy evokes spontaneity, audacity and sensuality.
It marks the renewal of the brand and embodies its attachment to its history and its celebration of women.

And you can see a very Audrey-ish commercial for the perfume (starring Liv) on the website, here. You can also read a little about Audrey's own fragrance, L'Interdit, here. (A personal favourite is Organza, with vanilla and jasmine.) There's even a cologne for babies! And Gransenbon for the little girl in your life.

In the history section of the site there's a page about Givenchy Style, with a picture of he and Audrey walking in Paris together. I like the description they have of Audrey: "Hubert de Givenchy created his first fragrance, L’Interdit, in homage to the delicate, romantic, big-hearted femininity of Audrey Hepburn."

From the 2007 Sunglasses Collection, these look to be very Audrey influenced:

Audrey Hepburn: The Model of Style and Desire

News is pretty slow today. Real slow, in fact. So I'm afraid I only have one thing to share, but it's a very excellent article. It starts off talking about the Christie's auction, and how the bidding frenzy and record-breaking price showed that the allure of Audrey is still going strong 13 years after she left us, and gives an excellent biography as well. To read the whole article, click here. (It's a bit long, but well worth the read.) There's one error, though: towards the end the author goofs and lists Sean Ferrer as Audrey's husband. Please, no Oedipus references.