Three of the town’s museums are taking part in this event highlighting the relationship between the couturier and his famous muse, who lived in the region.
Between 20 May and 17 September, three Morges museums will be dedicated to a major retrospective entitled “Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy, an elegant friendship”. The living legend of style deliberately chose the town of Morges, on the shores of Lake Geneva, for this exhibition, the actress having lived for thirty years in the neighbouring town of Tolochenaz, where she now rests.
This exhibition looks back at the work of Hubert de Givenchy, one of the most eminent designers of the 20th and 21st centuries and showcases around 50 original gowns, hats, accessories, about sixty sketches created especially for the occasion along with some hitherto unseen photographs.
Morges and area have never before hosted such a retrospective, involving three of its museums, each with their own perspective. Fondation Bolle will focus on the relationship between Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy, with a display of sketches, dresses, photos and a documentary movie. Morges Castle will offer a retrospective of Hubert de Givenchy’s work including garments, accessories and designs. Finally, the Musée Alexis-Forel will present a homage to Audrey Hepburn by Hubert de Givenchy, featuring sketches, Audrey Hepburn’s dresses, photos and magazine covers.
This exhibition will delight lovers of haute couture as well as admirers of these two legends of the cinema and fashion, especially since so far only two exhibitions have been solely dedicated to Hubert de Givenchy: one at Musée Thyssen-Bornemiza in Madrid and the other at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. Plus, Hubert de Givenchy was heavily involved in setting up the Morges exhibition, even choosing to exhibit some designs for the first time.
This exceptional event perfectly reflects his 40-year friendship with Audrey Hepburn, which actually started with an unfortunate misunderstanding. One day, the couturier was told that Miss Hepburn wanted to meet him. Hubert de Givenchy was a big fan of Katherine Hepburn, so he accepted right away. Imagine his surprise when he saw Audrey arriving! But they became friends and this elegant relationship continues to make its mark on style codes. The couturier designed the outfits the actress wore on the big screen as well as in her private life and she said of him that he gave her “a look, a type, a shape. Visually, it was he who made me what I have become”.
