Givenchy exudes French elegance at expo

By Yuan Shenggao | China Daily | Updated: 2019-11-06 07:53

Classic luxury brand showcasing latest stylish products for Chinese customers

As China and France celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries this year, the House of Givenchy, a renowned French luxury brand in haute couture, ready-to-wear, cosmetics and fragrances, together with its parent company LVMH Group, is taking part in the second China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The company, also a long-term friend to Chinese consumers, is bringing its premium products to the ongoing CIIE.

Its centerpieces at CIIE include the Mini Mystic handbag in red and miniature size, which honors founder of the brand, Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy, who liked to sign his sketches with a red stroke. Crafted in calfskin and suede, the Mini Mystic handbag illustrates Givenchy's leatherworking savoir-faire with handmade details and a silky gold-tone double-G clasp.

The Mini Eden bag, also in red, is being presented at the booth too.

The booth is decorated in the style of Paris haute couture salons. It is white and black, and features classic French decorative elements and a latex-like finish. The design was inspired by the brand's Fall-Winter 2019-20 Haute Couture show.

Complementing the Mini Mystic and Mini Eden handbags, Givenchy Parfums is presenting exclusive makeup products for the festive season, as well as a range of red shades from its iconic lipstick collection.

This lipstick is a tribute and homage to the first Rouge Couture lipstick created by Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy, which had a case engraved with multiples 4Gs.

Thirty years after Givenchy Makeup was created, these two shades also have engraved on them the same 4Gs.

In 1952, Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy debuted a collection of "separates" - elegant blouses and light skirts with architectural lines. Accompanied by the most prominent designers of the time, he established new standards of elegance and launched his signature fragrance, L'Interdit.

In 1988, Givenchy joined the LVMH Group, where the couturier remained until he retired in 1995.Hubert de Givenchy passed away in March 2018.

Today, as artistic director of Givenchy women's and men's ready-to-wear, haute couture and accessories, Clare Waight Keller is building on the couturier's love of grace and exquisite tailoring with a forward-looking style that speaks to a sophisticated international audience.

Givenchy has made long-standing ties with China and a fresh resonance in the country.

History of style

The history of Givenchy is a remarkable one.

The House of Givenchy was founded by Hubert de Givenchy in 1952.The name came to epitomize stylish elegance, and many celebrities of the age made Hubert de Givenchy their designer of choice.

When Hubert de Givenchy arrived in Paris from the small town of Beauvais at the age of 17, he knew he wanted to make a career in fashion design. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Versailles and worked as an assistant to the influential designer, Jacques Fath.

Following spells with Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong, he went on to collaborate with Elsa Schiaparelli in 1947, when his distinctive colorful separates attracted notice. In 1952, Hubert de Givenchy founded his own label. Bettina Graziani, a famous supermodel of the time, was closely associated with the house's early days. She looked after the press and opened the very first show wearing what would become the "Bettina "blouse. Hubert de Givenchy truly innovated with this collection, mainly showing separates using shirting, a raw cotton which looks like toile.

When a friend working with the movie studios asked Hubert de Givenchy to receive "Miss Hepburn" for a fitting in 1953, he expected to see Katharine Hepburn, the American actress. When the door opened, it was Audrey Hepburn, a waif-like young woman just starting out in cinema.

From this encounter stemmed the timeless Givenchy style of simple yet elegant clothes with clean lines. Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn not only for such movies as Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's, but also off-screen. She was the designer's muse and close friend until her death, some 40 years later.

Hubert de Givenchy counted many other celebrities among his most valued clients, among them Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy-Givenchy designed the outfits she wore for the state visit to France in 1961, also Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Greta Garbo and Lauren Bacall. Givenchy was one of the first haute couture designers to attach high importance to ready-to-wear collections.

Luxury group LVMH acquired the House of Givenchy in 1988, but Hubert de Givenchy remained at the helm for several more years. The couturier took his final bow after a farewell collection in 1995, and then devoted himself to other interests, particularly antiques.

All the Givenchy haute couture creations are hand-produced by the atelier, an expert team of highly experienced artisans.

Givenchy, with its various premium products, is bringing new vitality to the Chinese market. Joining the CIIE will become another milestone for the brand in China.