No matter how trite it may sound, you cannot call Hubert de Givenchy a living legend - the last (may Emanuel Ungaro and Pierre Cardin forgive these words) of the great couturiers celebrated his 90th anniversary this year.
At the same time, the mighty two-meter old man is vigorous in body and spirit - in the middle of summer in Calais (the way to the approximate city from the Gare du Nord station in Paris will take only two and a half hours) a retrospective dedicated to him was opened, which will last until the very end of the year. This is not the first exposition dedicated to him - Givenchy's works were exhibited in Madrid and The Hague, and right now, an exhibition of his main muse's dresses is taking place in the Swiss Walrus.
Hubert Givenchy © Frank Leonardo / New York Post Archives / (c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images
But this is the first of its own retrospectives, which was supervised by the designer himself: from the selection of the main exhibits to the selection of jewelry and the strategic arrangement of hats on the heads of mannequins.
The exhibition contains 80 couture dresses and accessories: moving from hall to hall, you can see in the smallest detail the formal dresses of Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn dresses that appeared in Breakfast at Tiffany's and How to Steal a Million, Wallis Simpson's funeral toilet, in which Duchess of Windsor saw off her husband on his last journey … Along with them, the exhibition also presents three fragrances made in the era when Hubert himself was at the helm of the brand: Gentleman, Amarige and L'Interdit, from which it all began.
Hubert de Givenchy exhibition © Thierry Chesnot / Getty Images
“L'Interdit was created in 1955 especially for Audrey Hepburn. It was not a commercial project, but a gift to a friend that belonged to her, and only to her for the first two years,”the couturier recalls at a press conference. But soon the fragrant cloud, in which the designer's muse appeared in his studio, began to evoke more and more enthusiastic responses, and two years later it was decided to release the perfume "to the masses." And a well-known brunette appeared on his advertising poster - this was the first time in history when an actress became the face of a fragrance.
Hubert de Givenchy exhibition © Thierry Chesnot / Getty Images
For 60 years, the aroma has not changed at all, except that the cloves that are part of the composition are sometimes brought not from Spain, but, say, from Morocco. “Throughout my years with the brand, I have fought for the purity of the formula,” says Françoise Donsch, an olfactologist who has contributed to many Givenchy fragrances. - It cannot be changed, and there is no need - interest in perfume does not subside to this day: especially fresh, clean scent is loved in Japan (this country accounts for almost half of sales), England, USA and France.
Over the years, the brand has changed: in 1989, make-up and care cosmetics appeared in the catalog, in 2007 - a special line for men, and by now the number of released fragrances has exceeded two hundred. But one thing remains unchanged - a very special French sophistication and an imprint of haute couture in its original meaning.
Three fragrances on display at Hubert de Givenchy
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L'Interdit
Givenchy's first fragrance hit the shelves in 1957 (and was created two years earlier). It smelled like a mixture of rose, jasmine, clove, cosmetic powder and aldehydes fashionable in the 50s - synthetic notes with a citrus-metallic sound. © press service Givenchy
Gentleman
Hubert de Givenchy brought the idea to create a perfume with patchouli from London, where he went to buy fabrics for men's suits - where the Indian plant was popular among local hippies. So, made in 1975, the fragrance received its main note, and with it the rebellious spirit.
© Louis Bourjac Amarige
The inspiration for the perfume released in 1991 was the legendary model Bettina Graziani: the fragrance with notes of mimosa and orange blossom became as bright and sunny as her smile, and the bottle with its outlines resembled the famous blouse that the then young couturier made for her.
© Louis Bourjac
The Hubert de Givenchy exhibition at the Calais Lace and Fashion Museum runs until December 31st.>