There's still time!

Have you chosen your Halloween costume yet? Have you bought it/made it yet? If you wanted to be Audrey but haven't been able to decide which version of Audrey to be, don't fret. You have plenty of options.

You can visit my older guides (part 1, part 2), but I have also found two newer books for the more crafty among you. These books offer instructions and patterns copying famous film costumes, and while they won't be precise replicas (because that would involve some fancy couture sewing!), they are quite nice replicas that you can use as a costume or even just in everyday wear.

The newest book is Sew Iconic, and features a pattern for Audrey's little black dress with the fringe from Breakfast at Tiffany's. This dress is a bit easier to make than the long column dress from the beginning of the film, and makes it easier to walk around all day (or climb out windows, if need be). If you're a big film buff, you might also love this book because it features Marilyn's iconic Seven Year Itch dress, Keira Knightley's green dress from Atonement, and Catherine Zeta-Jones' nightclub dress from the opening number in Chicago. If you'd like to get a better feel for the book, the foxling has a wonderful review with loads of pictures.

The second sewing book, Famous Frocks, is more of an eclectic mix, featuring the same Breakfast dress, along with a Twiggy mini dress, a Farrah Fawcett shirt dress, Madonna's Like A Prayer dress, and a Rita Hayworth costume. A blog with the name of geeksdigme has a post with more pictures and some additional information, if you wanted to have a better look.

Audrey A Roma in book form

The last big news item on Audrey Hepburn was an exhibit in Italy showcasing Audrey's life in Rome. The exhibit was sadly short-lived, yet still managed to raise nearly $100,000 for UNICEF! If you couldn't make it out to Rome to visit the exhibit, but desperately wanted to see the displays of Audrey's clothes, personal belongings, and candid photographs, never fear: a special book curated by her son Luca Dotti has been released with 192 pages of text and pictures for your enjoyment.

If you are in Europe, you can order the book through Amazon's Italian page here, or try your luck at local bookstores, as they have been spotted out and about. If you are in the U.S., the book is harder to find, but not impossible. A few sellers on Amazon have copies at around $30 (plus shipping), and would cost you near the same amount to order a copy from overseas and have it shipped to you. The best part is that all royalties from the sales go directly to the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

In an extra bit of news: if you are on Twitter, so am I! You can now get all your Audrey news in 140 characters or less. See you there.

Audrey A Roma

Exciting news! There will be a new exhibit on Audrey Hepburn in Rome, Italy, running from October 26th through December 4th. While there will be photos and personal items of Audrey's on display, this exhibit is different from Timeless Audrey, the exhibit that has been displayed in Germany and Japan and select other locations. Audrey A Roma is a special exhibit showcasing the years Audrey lived as an Italian housewife whilst married to her second husband, Andrea Dotti.

The exhibit will have extremely rare home videos of Audrey in Rome, as well as personal and paparazzi photos of her - the paparazzi often mailed Audrey the photos they had taken of her - and when possible, the very clothes she was wearing in those pictures will be on display as well. For those who have seen Timeless Audrey, it sounds like there will be enough new material to make this exhibit worth your while, and if you haven't yet seen Timeless Audrey, then here's a sneak preview for you!



Information is still trickling in at this point, but I can give you some basics, plus a lot of lovely links to look through. The Italian branch of UNICEF, which is working with The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, has a new mini-site up about Audrey's work with UNICEF and the exhibit, which you can see here. 25% of ticket proceeds will go towards UNICEF Italy's ongoing mission in Chad, Africa. Not only that, but there will be a special card designed just for this Italian exhibit, and the purchase of this card turns into a donation for a course of vitamins and minerals for a malnourished child - though if you can't make it to the exhibit but would still like to help in the name of Audrey, you can buy the card online here. A really lovely blog that's heavy on pictures has been set up on Tumblr, so if you're already on there, it'll be very easy for you to follow and get a daily dose of Audrey. You may also read more about the intentions behind the exhibit, and Sean and Luca's thoughts on it, on the Children's Fund website here. And while I don't have a link yet for this last bit, I can tell you that a picture book called Audrey A Roma (Audrey In Rome) will be on sale at the exhibit and elsewhere, designed by Audrey's son Luca Dotti. It will be in Italian bookstores and the Italian Amazon, but before you complain, word is that the book is being translated into English, French and German, and will be released sooner rather than later! Stay tuned.

As for the details ... if you can make it to the exhibit, here's what you need to know: The exhibit is at the Ara Pacis Museum Lungotevere in Augusta, Rome, and runs every day but Mondays from 9am to 7pm (no entries after 6pm). Admission is 10€, but discounts can be had, and there are certain cases for free admission.

Just Being Audrey giveaway contest!

You've waited long enough, now here it is: I will be giving away three (3) copies of the gorgeous children's picture book Just Being Audrey. Highly acclaimed and already deeply loved, this book is short and sweet and beautifully written. Designed for children but accessible to all, the book gives a lovely summary of Audrey's life, from la petite ballerina in Holland to the trendsetting Hollywood icon to the UNICEF ambassador, all illustrated with divine full color (and often full page) drawings.

All you have to do is send me an email at admin[at]fabaudrey.com (replace the [at] with @, or just click on the link to automatically open your email browser), title the email "contest," and tell me your name, what your favourite piece of Audrey Hepburn memorabilia is and why. I don't expect anything big, this isn't a school essay, and you don't have to impress anyone here. Just something Audrey-related that you especially love or are sentimental about. It could even be a copy of your favourite film of hers and how it makes you feel. Don't feel pressured, just write a little something from the heart. I will pick three - if I can! - and those three will be shipped a free copy of Just Being Audrey. That's it. :)

The rules: this contest is open to anyone anywhere in the world, as long as you can receive packages from the U.S. Your book will be shipped directly from amazon.com. You do not need to give me any personal information other than your name unless I contact you saying that you have won and I will need an address to ship to. Please do not take it personally if you weren't selected in this contest, there will be more! I am already quite sure it will be hard to choose just three entries, but I am a student and can't afford to buy everyone books at this time. :)

The contest will run from now, Saturday March 19, 2011 at 1 pm PST, until next Saturday March 26, 2011 at 1 pm PST. After the contest has closed I will read all of the entries and face the difficult task of choosing three. Within one week I will contact the three winners and email them with congratulations and ask for a shipping address. I'm afraid that only the recipients of the books will be notified, though I thank you all in advance for participating and sharing your feelings on Audrey. If you have any questions that I haven't answered, please feel free to comment below. Bonne chance!

Special thanks to Kath for having the idea for the contest in the first place. :)

Just Being Audrey arrives!

I've received quite a response from you readers, so now I must have a contest giving away a few copies of this book or you'll never forgive me. :) The book was just released today though, so be patient as I get things in order!

I also wanted to tell you that if you are on Facebook, the Just Being Audrey page is giving away an autographed copy of the book. All you have to do is leave a comment on the status asking what your favourite Audrey film is and you are entered to win! Their contest runs until Friday, so if you're interested, go here. Once their contest has ended and the winner announced I think I will start up my contest. I think giving away 3 copies ought to be good.

Oh, and just to clarify: my contests are always open world-wide, not just to US residents. If you can receive packages then you can enter.

Just Being Audrey

Hello everyone! I hope you are all happy and well in this new year. My apologies for falling behind on the news a bit, it's been busy, but I have a peace offering.

Next week the sweetest children's book is coming out, Just Being Audrey. I'm sure some of you have already heard about it, but if not, just look at how darling it is. I love the illustrations so much, don't you? If you do, click here to go to the illustrator's blog and see a few more pictures from the book, which she was kind enough to share from her advance copy of the book.

The book is 32 pages and illustrated quite a lot, and is ideally for the 4-8 year old age range, but of course that won't stop any of us, will it? I think it would make a lovely little coffee table book to have laying out, and your guests could learn about Audrey in 10 minutes flat. If you do know any children, even better, as the pictures will captivate them and the text is simple enough to get Audrey's life story across to anyone, whether they like reading or not.

I think, to make up for my spotty updates, I should give away a couple of copies of this book. It's just so cute and I want to share the cuteness, and I do feel bad for not being around more often lately. Would you be okay with a contest to win a copy?

Edit: Just found a beautiful trailer for the book with loads more illustrations. I'm completely in love.

Off the C(H)uff with Sam Wasson

I've just stumbled across an interview with Sam Wasson on Huffington Post, author of the new book Fifth Avenue, 5 AM. I know I've featured this book quite a few times already, and even an interview or two with the author, but I think this one in particular deserves some attention because it gives far more light into the book and why it was written than any other article I've read so far. It's a good read, fairly short but entertaining and packed with information, and it also features the Breakfast at Tiffany's trailer that yours truly posted on YouTube a few years ago. :)

I shall be getting a copy soon to review for you, but in the meantime, has anyone read it or at least flipped through it in the bookstore? What are your thoughts?

Audrey 100

There's a new picture book on Audrey coming out November 2, and it's called Audrey 100. The premise? The 100 greatest pictures of Audrey Hepburn, as compiled by her son Sean Ferrer. What this means? Rare or private pictures, seen for the first time! The book is co-authored by Ellen (Erwin) Fontana, the director of the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, who was also behind what I consider the best book out there on Audrey, The Audrey Hepburn Treasures.

While information is still trickling out, I can tell you that the book is slated for a release date of November 2, that it comes in at just under 200 pages, that it comes with a 9x11 photograph for framing, and that full retail price is $40 (though you can get it for less if you know where to look, of course). And, like Treasures before it, sales will benefit the Children's Fund.

Excited yet? There's more. You can pre-order through Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and you can even take a lovely virtual tour of the book here.

Bob Willoughby, Audrey Hepburn: 1953-1966

Taschen is trying to kill us.

A few years ago they released Audrey Hepburn (Movie Icons), one of the best little picture books I have ever seen, and now they're at it again. This time it's a monster collection of Bob Willoughby's work with Audrey, spanning 13 years, in a gorgeous hardcover book with a Tiffany blue spine. But there's a catch: the book is limited to a run of 1,000 (with an extra 200 artist's proofs), and they're priced at a pre-order sale of $500. After September 30th, the price jumps to $700 (€500, or £450). I'm dying here. I was just saying how much I love books on Audrey, and I especially love picture books on her. But oh, even I can't justify that price! And I certainly can't afford it. Quel dommage. Who wouldn't love a book that beautiful?

If any of you are ever lucky enough to own a copy, please let us know what it's like! For now, we shall content ourselves with a virtual tour of the book, showcasing 100 pages, on Taschen's website. (Information via Amazon and Taschen, along with a lovely writeup on Wayneford's Posterous that is worth reading.)

Fifth Avenue, 5 AM

Oh, what I love more than anything: a new book on Audrey! Well, a new book on the production of Breakfast at Tiffany's, to be precise, but you absolutely cannot talk about Tiffany's without talking about Audrey Hepburn. It's physically impossible, try it.

Anyway, the book is called Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, and delves into everything from filming to the adaptation from wandering novella to sparkling screenplay, to Audrey's impact on fashion and the formation of the modern woman. It looks to be a great read, I can't wait to get my grubby mitts on it!

Intrigued? You should be. And if you are in either New York or Los Angeles, you're in luck: the author, Sam Wasson, will be onhand to discuss the film and the book, and to sign copies if you would like. Here's the information:

For New York: This Thursday, July 8th at 7:30 PM, there will be a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Cinema Arts Centre, and Sam will be there to speak. Ticket prices include admission to the film, discussion, reception and book signing afterward, though you will have to pay for a book separately. Details are here.

For Santa Monica: Next Wednesday, July 14 at 6 PM, there will be a book signing event at Every Picture Tells A Story, and afterward there will be a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's and a panel discussion to follow at the Aero Theatre just across the street. Information here.

For Los Angeles: Three weeks from now, on Monday July 26 at 7 PM, there will be a signing with Sam at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. No word on a discussion, but if this is the only event you can make it to, I'm sure he wouldn't mind fielding a few questions as he signs your copy of the book. Details here.

What fun! I love that New York and Santa Monica also threw together screenings of the film as well. If you've never seen Breakfast at Tiffany's on the big screen, well ... you don't know what you're missing. It was meant to be seen that way, and to feel the energy of the audience around you is astounding. If you are anywhere remotely near any of these events, please try to go! I will be at the Santa Monica signing and maybe drop by the Sunset Blvd one just for fun. And if you can't make it, don't despair. Other events might be forthcoming, and you can still buy the book at a regular bookshop, or Amazon has it reduced to quite a nice price, if I do say so.

10 Great Audrey Gifts For $20 (or less)

It's that time of year again . . . Everyone's buying frantically, running around looking for the perfect gift, but times are especially tough right now, no matter who you are or where you live in this lovely world of ours. And whatever you celebrate during December -- shoot, even if you don't celebrate anything at all, toast yourself for living through 2009! -- finding an amazing gift at a great price makes you feel extra good, doesn't it? Everyone loves Audrey Hepburn, and if they don't, it's only because they haven't met her yet. If you're searching for the perfect gift for someone but don't have a lot of funds right now, consider these fabulous items for under 20 U.S. dollars (hey, that's not much in any market). The established Audrey fan will be pleased. If your recipient doesn't know about her, then you have the added pleasure of creating a new fan. :)

1. Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers - written by Audrey's son Sean, it's a dear and intimate look into the real Audrey. With loads of rare pictures and even a few recipes, it's an amazing book that anyone would be happy to have. $13.57

2. Audrey Hepburn (Barry Paris) - the definitive biography on Audrey written by an outsider. Brilliant, with an amazing amount of detail, it's a loving but not syrupy look at the actress and humanitarian. $14.49


3. Roman Holiday - The Centennial Collection (Mastered in High Definition) - world, meet Audrey. You'll never be the same. $15.99





4. Breakfast At Tiffany's - Paramount Centennial Collection (Mastered in High Definition) - even if they've never seen the film, this is what Audrey is known for. Show them why everyone loves Audrey's Holly Golightly and give them the added pleasure of watching her sing "Moon River" in that divine way no one has ever been able to match. $15.99

5. How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life - Perfect for a new fan or a young lady you'd like to see grow up proper, this little book is jammed full of tips on life, love, and everything in between given by Audrey herself over the years. The quotes are lovely and it's a sure way to bring a smile to someone's face. $12.21

6. Funny Face - Paramount Centennial Collection - Know any fashionistas? It doesn't matter how modern and cutting edge he/she is, it is scientifically impossible to not swoon over the combination of Givenchy couture and Audrey Hepburn sporting them all over Paris. Plus, she sings and dances with the legendary Fred Astaire! $16.99

7. Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina - perfect for the more advanced fan who may already own everything listed above, this new book is crammed absolutely full of never before seen pictures of Audrey on the set of Sabrina. Thought to have been lost for nearly 50 years, these photos were snapped before Roman Holiday became huge and Audrey won the Oscar, when she was still relatively unknown but on the brink of becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Also full of sweet quotes from the lady herself. $12.89

8. The Nun's Story - a lesser known, more serious film, but if you'd like to show someone once and for all that Audrey Hepburn wasn't just another pretty face, this is all you need. An absolutely brilliant, nuanced performance that really should have won her a second Oscar. $5.79


9. Charade - Audrey Hepburn! Cary Grant! Givenchy! Paris! What, you want more? Fine, how about a brilliant plot as well, and it's all directed by Stanley Donen. The Criterion edition is fantastic but excessively expensive, so stick with this one. $7.99


10. Audrey Hepburn 2010 FACES Square Wall (Wall Calendar) (Multilingual Edition) -the gift that really does keep giving, 365 days of Audrey. It's everything my mother said I should be: "useful and decorative." $13.49

Something for the L.A. fans

Whew, it's been hectic around here lately! I think things may settle down around September or October, but until then, be prepared for more sporadic -- yet cool -- updates. :) Just a short while ago I received a letter about a new gallery exhibit opening at the end of the month in Los Angeles, and it coincides with a new book on Audrey. Double the goodies!

The book is called Charmed By Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina, and from what I can tell it's mainly a picture book featuring loads of snaps from photographer Mark Shaw. Have a gander at the cover of the book (left), I know you know his work.

Anyway, the grand opening is Tuesday April 28th from 6-8 PM, and Mark Shaw's son David will be onhand to sign copies of the book, which will be for sale. There will also be prints available on display, and if you can't make it to opening night, don't fret. The exhibit will stay on the walls until June 26th, and can be found at Svenska Mõbler, 154 N. La Brea Ave in Los Angeles.

I'm planning on being there, taking a bullet for all you fans scattered throughout the world who can't make it. I know, it's such a difficult job, but someone must do it. ;) If you can come, leave a comment and let me know! I'll keep an eye out for you.

P.S. You can see some prints online by clicking here, if you're impatient. There's also a lot of Jackie Kennedy, some early pre-Velvet Underground Nico and some amazing behind the scenes Balmain, for all you fashionistas.

P.P.S. There's also a great photo exhibit coming to London soon, but I'm waiting on some more information before I post about it. Stay tuned!

Update: if you can't make it to opening night and don't find the book in your local bookshop, it is available on Amazon. And thanks to the lovely Beth for all the info!

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.

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!

new Hepburn book delayed?

The last time I mentioned Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, it was to note that the release date for the book was May 28th. That apparently hasn't happened, though Amazon and Barnes and Noble still list the release date as May 2007. Well, they've only got two days left! Hopefully this book won't be as delayed as late as the (lovely and cute) Taschen Icons book was last year.

Also, I apologize for the lack of regular updates recently. I've been overfull on work recently and just really needed some time to rest and catch up with myself. Hopefully, I'm all caught up now and can get back to some exciting Audrey news. Remember that her pink Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail dress goes up for auction on Wednesday! It's bound to exceed the estimated sale price.

Audrey Hepburn: A Life In Pictures

There seems to be yet another new Audrey Hepburn picture book coming out! This one is published by Anova Books, and is called Audrey Hepburn: A Life in Pictures. This is not to be confused with an earlier picture book called Audrey: A Life in Pictures by Carol Krenz -- at least I'm pretty sure it's not a reprint. There's a different cover and publishing company involved, though judging by the Amazon preview available to us, there are a lot of more well-known pictures of Audrey featured in this new book. Well, perhaps more information will come out about this book between now and its release date of November first and we'll know for sure if it's a reprint or not.

And just a reminder: Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, the new picture book by photographer Howell Conant, will be released on May 28! This book is supposed to be chock-full of all sorts of Breakfast at Tiffany's goodies, including many never before seen or very rare photos taken from production and publicity shoots for the film.