Who started it?
Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy was born in Beauvais, France, in 1927. Inspired by his mother's fashion magazines, he left for Paris at 17 to pursue a career in fashion and began an apprenticeship as a draughtsman for couturier Jacques Fath.
His reputation grew and in 1946 he was recommended to couturier Robert Piguet, where he took up a design position. In 1947, he left Piguet and moved to Lucien Lelong before becoming first assistant and boutique director for Elsa Schiaparelli.
In 1951, Givenchy set up his own couture house. and in 1952 he presented his first couture collection, featuring separates, and appeared on the cover of Life magazine.
In 1956, Givenchy and Cristobal Balenciaga simultaneously presented their collections and in 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy commissioned Givenchy to design her dress for dinner with French president Charles de Gaulle. That year, Givenchy moved his atelier and opened his first boutique in Paris. His first major exhibition was held in Houston, Texas, in 1965 and he launched his first high-end ready-to-wear collection in 1968.
Between 1973 and 1992, Givenchy was honoured several times and received the fashion industry's highest honour, De d'or award.