Brand of the Week: Givenchy Parfums

Friday, November 9th, 2007

Brand of the Week: Givenchy Parfums

Here’s why I love Hubert de Givenchy. In my humble opinion, he invented the “muse.” For Mr. Givenchy, Audrey Hepburn was his inspiration, his BFF, and essentially his stylish imagination come to life. She even inspired him to create his first scent, L’ Interdit in 1957. Now, 50 years and a multitude of scents later, Givenchy Parfums continues to be a leading contender in the fragrance market.

For the past 50 years GIVENCHY fragrances, like the house’s fashion creations, have reflected an era, expressing a mood and evoking a lifestyle that combines elegance with a sense of fantasy. They illustrate a conception of a woman who changes with the times, conveying a clear vision of her place in the world, her way of being. These are the women that personified his vision:

Starting with Audrey Hepburn, who was a young and relatively unknown actress when she met Hubert de Givenchy in 1953, PARFUMS GIVENCHY has always favoured personality over celebrity in its choice of representatives. Audrey Hepburn, actress and muse, personified the romantic seductiveness, the natural elegance and grace of L’Interdit in 1958.
In 1992 the captivating, mysterious Carla Bruni expressed for Ysatis the heartfelt sensuality that would enable her to succeed in a second career as a singer-songwriter.
Laetitia Casta updated the natural charm of the house’s first fragrance for Fleur d’Interdit in 1994. Refusing to conform to the conventions of beauty, she transformed her ”flaws” into assets, making them the foundation of her success.
In 1998 Eva Herzigova, radiating feminine glamour, lent to Amarige the resplendent beauty that would make her one of the world’s most sought-after top models.
Statuesque, transcending passing fashions, Yasmeen Ghauri epitomized the timeless femininity of Organza with her regal silhouette in 1996.
The young American actress Liv Tyler provided a delightfully mischievous interpretation of the sprightly élan of Very Irrésistible Givenchy in 2003.
Enigmatic and unforgettable, Marie Steiss cultivated the paradox of shadow and light for Ange ou Démon in 2007.

For a timeline of Givenchy and Givenchy Parfums,

1927 Birth of Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy in Beauvais.

1952 Opening of the Couture House at 8, rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris. Presentation of the first Haute Couture collection.

1953 Two key encounters: Cristóbal Balenciaga in New York and Audrey Hepburn, who asks him to design the dresses for her character in Billy Wilder’s film Sabrina.

1957 Founding of the PARFUMS GIVENCHY company. Launch of “Le De” and “L’Interdit,” a fragrance dedicated to the couturier’s muse, Audrey Hepburn.

1959 Creation of two men’s fragrances: “L’Eau de Vetyver” and “Monsieur de Givenchy”.

1961 The House of Givenchy moves to 3, avenue George V. The first Parisian boutique opens at the same address.

1970 Launch of the “Givenchy III” fragrance. Creation of the 4G logo.

1973 Hubert de Givenchy launches his first men’s ready-to-wear collection, “Gentleman Givenchy”.

1975 Launch of the men’s fragrance “Givenchy Gentleman”.

1980 Launch of “L’Eau de Givenchy”.

1984 Launch of the “Ysatis” fragrance.

1986 Launch of the men’s fragrance “Xeryus”. PARFUMS GIVENCHY becomes part of the LVMH group.

1989 Givenchy creates a line of makeup and skincare products.

1991 A lavish retrospective spanning 40 years of design is staged at Paris’s Galliera Museum of Fashion and Costume. Launch of the “Amarige” fragrance.

1995 Hubert de Givenchy retires from the House he founded 43 years earlier.

1996 British fashion designer John Galliano arrives at the Givenchy Couture House, followed by Alexander McQueen. Launch of the “Organza” fragrance.

1998 Launch of the men’s fragrance “_”.

2000 Launch of the women’s fragrance “Hot Couture”.

2001 Julien Macdonald becomes the Couture House’s new creative director.

2002 Launch of the men’s fragrance “Givenchy pour Homme”.

2003 American actress Liv Tyler becomes the face of the new fragrance “Very Irrésistible Givenchy”.

2004 Creation of the new makeup line, Givenchy Le Makeup.

2005 Arrival of Italian fashion designer Riccardo Tisci at the Couture House. Launch of the men’s fragrance “Very Irrésistible Givenchy for Men”.

2006 Creation of the “Ange ou Démon” fragrance personified by Marie Steiss.

2007 PARFUMS GIVENCHY celebrates its 50-year anniversary with a relaunch of its classic fragrances.