When I think of all the designers I have followed over the years, Givenchy rates as my favorite. His elegant yet simple style appeals to me and I would love to copy several of his designs. Who can forget his to two iconic LBD’s from Breakfast at Tiffany’s – the evening gown and the day dress?

 

Did you know that some of Givenchy’s famous film outfits are available in patterns? For a while, Givenchy was designing patterns for McCall’s, straight off the screen including Sabrina and How to Steal a Million and you can find them occasionally for sale on Ebay or Etsy.

 

I have a couple although not as many as I would like. I would really like the complete set of 4 patterns that he did for McCall’s from How to Steal a Million. I have two, but the other two are elusive.The two patterns in the middle, the coats and the suits, are the ones I don’t have and want. If you happen to come across these patterns please let me know! The end coat pattern was recreated for a Vogue Paris Design Pattern. It isn’t exactly the same, but fairly close.

Do you know of any other designer patterns recreated from the movies that are available for the home sewer?

Several decades later, after McCall’s issued Givenchy patterns, Vogue took some of the Breakfast At Tiffany’s outfits and recreated them in a pattern. Unfortunately it was removed from the market soon after it was available, but this too can be found occasionally on Ebay and Etsy.

Even though Chanel has Karl Lagerfeld, the other Haute Couture houses have never been quite the same since their founders died or retired — houses like Givenchy, Christian Dior, Yves St. Laurent, Balmain, Balenciaga, Valentino, and Schiaparelli, among others. There is a more modern crop of designers that have stepped into their shoes, but we will never forget those who paved the way. Even though Haute Couture is outrageously expensive, I still love to follow the fashion week parade of new designs and I will always be grateful for prêt-à-porter or ready to wear. You can see both collections of all the big and not so big names on the Vogue app. Do you have a favorite among the   designers, contemporary or earlier?

 

So, Adieu, Hubert de Givenchy, (1927 – 2018), the handsome aristocrat who brought his own timeless style to the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Lauren Bacall, and Ingrid Berman as well as to us through his home sewing pattern designs.

Cheers,