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Introduction

For my final project, I have decided to compare and contrast two important fashion

designers based in Paris, one from pre-World War II, Elsa Schiaparelli, and one from

post-World War II, Hubert de Givenchy. The reason why I chose to write about these

two designers is because I’ve always had a fascination with Italian and French fashion (I

lived in Florence for 2 years, and I am currently living in Paris for my Masters degree),

and I honestly didn’t know much about their work before delving into my research. After

gathering and reading several sources, I learned that there were many underlying

connections between the two designers and other couturiers in Paris. Within the next

several pages I explain these themes and commonalities by breaking them into categories

with sub-topics.

Childhood and the Early Years

Elsa Schiaparelli was born in 1890 to an upper middle class Italian family. Although

she did not come from a particularly wealthy or aristocratic background, her family was

educated and intellectual. Family members included her Orientalist and academic father

who was Dean at the University of Rome, her uncle, a renowned astronomer, and her

cousin, an Egyptologist. She was entranced by her mother’s clothing and sense of style;

her love of beauty and exotic things started at an early age and later influenced her

designs.

Born one generation later in 1927, Hubert de Givenchy was the descendent of a

French aristocratic family. He was also from an educated and intellectual background

and grew up in an artistically minded, bourgeois environment. His grandfather collected

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rare textiles and art pieces, and it has been told that young Hubert was fascinated by these

beautiful objects. He was also enchanted by his mother’s fashion magazines, and at age 8

he started to make dresses on dolls in the manner of the wardrobes worn by the fashion

models. Givenchy had the chance to visit the Paris International Exhibition in 1937, and

from then on, his love of fashion grew. After World War II, France was in a state of

optimism and good spirits, and those who were part of the high-class society celebrated

the Liberation of Paris by attending a mass of balls. Everyone who was invited to these

grandiose functions dressed in their best attire, and Givenchy was one of these

photographed guests. Because he was surrounded by haute couture from as long as he

could remember, it’s not really a surprise that he had exquisite taste and a true

appreciation for the finer things in life. At first, his chosen vocation as a designer did not

sit well with his family. They wanted him to attend law school, but after convincing his

mother that he would not complain or change his profession, she finally agreed to let him

follow his dream.

Inspirations and Historical Context

Elsa Schiaparelli’s travels abroad to NYC, London, and Paris (where she eventually

settled and opened up shop) served as inspirations in various ways, and these experiences

shaped her role as a tastemaker and innovator in the fashion industry. She is considered a

genius and an ‘artiste-couturiere’ and is best remembered for her heavy involvement in

Surrealism as many of her designs were inspired by the movement. Some of her most

memorable pieces were associated with the natural world (ex. insects, vegetables, shells,

and sea creatures) along with collaborations with the Surrealist painter, Salvador Dali.

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Her iconic ‘works of art’ include the phallic ‘Shoe Hat’, the ‘Lobster Dress’, the ‘Tears

Dress’, and the ‘Desk Suit’ with drawer pockets. Additionally, some of her works drew

from her fascination with Orientalism and Eastern philosophies. One of her collections,

the ‘Stop, Look, and Listen’ collection of 1935, showcased Hindu draped evening dresses

in bright colors, which suited the hedonism and politics of the time.

Initially, Givenchy wanted to work for his idol, the Spanish couturier, Cristobal

Balenciaga, but for whatever reason, on the day he went to Balenciaga’s salon to request

a meeting/interview, he was turned away by the house’s director, Mademoiselle Renee.

Before setting up his own shop in 1952, Givenchy worked for the then most fashionable

house in Paris, Jacques Fath. He also had the pleasure to work four years for Madame

Schiaparelli herself, and this collaboration brought a breath of fresh air to the dying house

after the war. When she was forced to shut down her doors a few years later, several of

her private clients and famous friends turned to the House of Givenchy. These notable

individuals included Marlene Dietrich, Gloria Guinness, and the Duchess of Windsor.

“Changes in fashion tend to be interpreted as evolving from previous styles or as

involving cyclical changes in which the same type of style recurs at regular intervals…in

fact, in the past, the process of fashion has usually corresponded to both the evolutionary

and the cyclical model. The evolutionary model is exemplified by the appearance of

major fashion innovations that generate a succession of smaller, derivative changes, as

seen in the work of Balenciaga and Dior in the 1950s” (Crane, 152). Givenchy has said

that he knew nothing about couture until he met Balenciaga one year after opening his

salon. He was inspired by Balenciaga’s creations, and this is evident in his work. He

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was able to blend his own lighthearted French tastes with the Spaniard’s austere aesthetic,

thereby creating genius reinterpretations from his idol’s original work. Some of these

famous reinterpretations consisted of Balenciaga’s ‘chemise’ design that masked the

natural waistline, the cone silhouette that had similarities to Givenchy’s cape shaped

outfits featured in Vogue, the ‘barrel’ shaped skirt made with new and inventive fabrics,

and the concept of the armhole design as comfort for the wearer (ex. wide raglan and

dolman sleeves).

Although Balenciaga was the overarching creative influence in most of Givenchy’s

designs, there were other sources of inspiration that led Givenchy to great success: film &

theatre, art, interior decoration, his various friendships, and women in particular. He also

had a fascination with Orientalism and looked to the Middle East and Asia for his ideas.

Examples of his eastward, inspired designs included Arabic robes, Chinese influenced

silhouettes, turbans, harem skirts, Kashmiri colors, garments from India, and kimono

sleeves. Along with Elsa Schiaparelli, Givenchy loved to use different materials and

various motifs in his designs such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers; these concepts

derived from various places including foreign lands and the natural world.

Important Contributions

Elsa Schiaparelli is recognized in the fashion industry for her use of textiles, jewelry,

and accessories. Her success had a lot to do with her desire to work with new man-made

fabrics and explore different textures (her 1934 ‘Stormy Weather’ collection for example

highlighted British tweeds, woolens, and knits). In addition, Schiaparelli had the courage

to see beyond the limits of tradition, and this became evident early on in her career when

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she perfected her signature, body conscious silhouette. She became known as the

‘carpenter of clothes’, which emphasized volume built up at the shoulders to make the

waist look smaller; this military feel combined with skillful tailoring showcased the

elegant simplicity of her designs. Another significant contribution she made was the

introduction of the newly invented industrial zip in dresses and hats, which was a quick

alternative to button fastening. Furthermore, when Schiaparelli launched the ‘Shocking

Pink’ collection and perfume in 1937, it created a sensation throughout Paris and was

dubbed ‘femme fatale,’ her work evermore correlated with risqué glamour.

“Haute couture is an investment because it doesn’t simply last for a season…it goes

on and on. The dress is a classic example of what I mean. It has lots of detail with its

fringes and its movements in the sleeves, yet there is nothing to date it.” Givenchy was a

master of knowing what women want, and he personified the high fashion couturier with

his elegant, refined, and cultured works of art. He was always the perfectionist and was

able to apply the impeccable combination of classicism with notes of playfulness,

fantasy, and surprise. Moreover, Givenchy placed emphasis on comfort and his dominant

silhouette was free of constriction, artificially stiffened fabrics, and restrictive padding

and corsetry. This was a rapid departure from his predecessor, Christian Dior, who

stressed the hourglass figure, which was tightly nipped in at the waist with accentuated

hips. Although Givenchy’s specific style is hard to define, he is known for several

concepts: the collection of separates for couture minded clients, the three quarter length

sleeve, the perfected collar, lengthening the waistline, the development of asymmetry in

day and evening clothes, the reinvention of the tunic, and the introduction of several

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synthetic materials. Some of his most well-recognized and magnificent designs include

the chemise, the Bettina blouse, evening décolletés and capes, and most importantly the

little black dress.

Rivalries and Mentoring

During the 1930s, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel dominated fashion. Whereas

her rival Chanel emphasized understated elegance and the liberation of the corseted

female form, Schiaparelli accentuated playfulness and artwork in her designs. Because

they were in direct competition with each other during this time, it is not surprising that

they did not like each other very much. A few decades later, Hubert de Givenchy and

Cristobal Balenciaga pretty much controlled the fashion reigns in the 1950s and 60s (with

the exception of a few others such as Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain). What’s

interesting to note though is that these two couturiers had a genuine respect for one

another and in fact had more of a father and son relationship. Balenciaga was a born

teacher who loved to instruct, and Givenchy has said countless times that the Spanish

elder was like a mentor to him. “Mr. Balenciaga combined creative genius, a flair for the

avant-garde, and a technique that has remained unsurpassed. He was the complete

creator.” This quote from Givenchy captures the admiration he had for Balenciaga;

although the two were each other’s basis of comparison, they often collaborated with one

another and exchanged their thoughts and ideas. And when Balenciaga closed his salon

in 1968, not only did some of his most important clients head over to Givenchy but some

of his best employees did as well.

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Entrepreneurship and Business Minded

Schiaparelli’s first famous design was the ‘Bow Knot’ sweater in the 1920s. It is

significant to mention because the concept of knitwear as a fashion staple was introduced

to the public at this time. American mass-market wholesalers loved the look so much

that it was copied, produced, and later distributed at leading department stores across the

US. A few years later, the ‘Mad Cap’ became just as popular. Schiaparelli had a ‘can-

do’ business attitude, and she understood the importance of commercialization as her

ready-to-wear line in knitwear, sportswear, and accessories started to take off. She

extended her repertoire to include dressing gowns, handkerchiefs and scarves, one-piece

beach pajamas in jersey, swimwear, shoes, and hats. Although she considered herself to

be a shy person, she became the public ambassador for her own label and made sure that

she was captured everywhere to increase the recognition of her brand.

“Trying to make a woman more beautiful is to try to understand her well, for her to be

well dressed and above all, comfortable in her clothes. If a woman moves well, her

gestures will be natural and she will be happy.” Because Givenchy understood female

beauty so well, his house attracted an enormous amount of good-looking and extremely

wealthy women. Some of his most famous clients included Audrey Hepburn, Sophia

Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lauren Bacall, Gloria

Swanson, and Princess Radziwill. Throughout his years as a couturier, Givenchy was the

very involved master and a true entrepreneur. He was able to expand his label

internationally, and by the 1960s, over 70% of his couture clients were Americans.

Givenchy was one of the first Parisian designers to promote the concept that luxury

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ready-to-wear was the future, and he knew that in order to reach the global market he had

to build upon the brand by opening new outlets and establishing licensing contracts.

The Designer’s Muse

Although Elsa Schiaparelli was painfully self-conscious of being photographed, she

was often the ‘face’ of her own label. She barely stood five feet tall, but she had an

obvious presence in the magazine spreads, which made it seem like she was confident

and self-assured. Schiaparelli did not have one specific muse that she went to time and

time again, but what’s interesting to point out is that her granddaughter, Hollywood

actress Marisa Berenson, would often model Givenchy’s designs in publications such as

American Vogue several decades later.

“Hepburn enters in her lovely dress with yards of skirt way off the shoulders to the

admiring stares of all the men and women at the ball…the Parisian gown, innovative in

its mixture of lengths and shapes, juxtaposing a tight above the ankle dress, a long,

trailing train and a strapless bodice. Hepburn’s design is set apart by the detail, the floral

embroidery on the white chiffon, the dark tasseled trim and dark lining that round off the

train, the weight of the fabric apparent as Hepburn moves, and the fact that it creases”

(Bruzzi, 17). Givenchy and the already famous actress at the time, Audrey Hepburn, met

on the movie set of Sabrina in the early 1950s, and from the first introduction, it was a

friendship and partnership that would last a lifetime. Two of the costumes designed by

Givenchy and worn in the film by the leading lady, Hepburn (the white ball dress

patterned in flowers and the black, ‘Sabrina’ cocktail dress) were to become iconic

fashion pieces, so much so that the movie won the Oscar for Best Costume Design that

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year. Unfortunately, he was not credited for his work (Edith Head, the director of the

Costume Design department at Paramount accepted the award and did not acknowledge

him during her speech), but Hepburn would become his muse and the personification of

his style for years to come. She starred in several classic films wearing his designs:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, Funny Face, Paris When It Sizzles, Love in the

Afternoon, and How to Steal a Million.

“Together they created her look, the externalization of her style. She saw the clothes

he created as the beautiful vase that would enhance a simple field flower, whereas he

viewed them as the vase that is kept simple so that nothing will detract from the natural

beauty of the flower itself. As a result of their collaboration, she has often been referred

to as the most elegant, the most stylish, woman in the world” (Ferrer, 152-154). This

quote from Audrey Hepburn’s son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, exemplifies the special

relationship between the two of them. They shared a wonderful connection, and when

Givenchy created his first fragrance, L’Interdit in 1957, he dedicated it to her. L’Interdit

became the first celebrity perfume, and their union started a trend between stars and

clothes. When Audrey Hepburn was on the verge of death in the early 1990s, it was

Givenchy who enabled her to return from California to Switzerland. He chartered a jet,

had it flown from New York to the West Coast to bring Audrey, her family, her nurse,

and her dogs home. And as Audrey Hepburn stated about her dear friend, "We've known

each other for more than 30 years. He is always there for me, particularly during difficult

moments. He came to New York when I received the Lincoln Center tribute. When my

son was born, he came to see me and brought a christening gown with Spanish

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embroidery. And for my 60th birthday, he sent me 60 white rose bushes, which have just

begun to blossom." 

The House of Schiaparelli and House of Givenchy Today

After World War II, Schiaparelli returned to Paris only to discover that the couture

world had changed. She was not able to embrace the spirit of the times and eventually

had to close down her business in 1954. Although Elsa Schiaparelli is considered to be

one of the most imaginative and talented fashion creators in history, she is not as well

remembered as Chanel because her business failed. In 2007, an Italian businessman

acquired the brand, and it is presently going through a transition period. The house has

been nominated for a return to the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture list of

members, and it presented its first show since nomination this past January.

In 1988, Givenchy sold the couture house to LVMH and then formally stood down

from the House of Givenchy in 1995. Over the last two decades the House of Givenchy

has gone through several changes as his successors have briefly held the position (John

Galliano from 1995-1996, Alexander McQueen from 1996-2001, Julien Macdonald from

2001-2004). Currently, Riccardo Tisci is the head designer of the Givenchy label and has

held the title for the past ten years. Although his Gothic and space age minimalistic

inspired designs have been met with mixed and inconsistent reviews over the years, he

has revitalized the Givenchy label and it is still adored by countless celebrities. Famous

actresses who have recently worn his creations to red carpet events include Kim

Kardashian, Beyonce, Natalie Portman, and Zoe Saldana.

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From October 22nd, 2014 to January 18th, 2015 the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in

Madrid, Spain is presenting the first major retrospective on the work of Givenchy.

Although Givenchy has officially been retired for twenty years, he has orchestrated the

exhibition himself and has selected over 100 of his finest creations over the course of half

a century, which has been loaned from museums and private collections worldwide.

Conclusion

Even though Elsa Schiaparelli and Hubert de Givenchy were of different origins and

were not of the same generation, it is clear after doing my research that these two

couturiers based in Paris actually had many similarities. They were both from educated

and intellectual European families and they appreciated beautiful objects as children. In

addition, they knew that they wanted to get into haute couture at an early age, and

similarly drew much of their inspirations in their designs from far off places and

historical & social contexts (ex. Orientalism). Above all though, they were true

entrepreneurs and understood the business of fashion, which led to their dominance and

worldwide success during the pre and post World War II eras. To this day, both houses

still exist withstanding the true test of time.

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Works Cited

Beyfus, Drusilla. Vogue on Hubert de Givenchy. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited,

2013. Print.

Bruzzi, Stella. Undressing Cinema: Clothing and Identity in the Movies. London:

Routledge, 1997. Print.

Crane, Diana. Fashion and its Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing.

Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.

Ferrer, Sean Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit. New York: Atria Books,

2003. Print.

Lane, Mary M. “Hubert de Givenchy Remembers Audrey Hepburn.” The Wall Street

Journal. Web. 4 September 2012.

Mongo, Carol. “Paris Fashion Homage to Givenchy”. Paris Voice. Web. June 1995.

Watt, Judith. Vogue on Elsa Schiaparelli. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2012.

Print.