Hubert de Givenchy

Birth:-02/21/1927

De Givenchy had been an apprentice designer for Fath, Piguet and Schiaparelli. but on his own with a shoestring staff and cramped space, so cramped that ironing was done in the bathroom, he was able to reduce his average prices by a third. It was not his prices however, but his designs which earned him the biggest salon ovation heard in five years and sales of seven million francs the first day, spectacular for a new, small house.

Hubert de Givenchy first opened the House of Givenchy in Paris in 1952. For Hubert de Givenchy, his work is a passion and his philosophy is best summed up in his own words: "To dress a woman is to make her beautiful. In haute couture we are cosmetic surgeons, erasing imperfections and refining the silhouette".

De Givenchy's designs are youthful and full of fresh ideas, with emphasis on separate skirts and tops and accessory odds and ends. Bettina Grazini resigned her position as the top model in Paris to join the new enterprise.