Alongside together with her enduring legacies in movie and magnificence, Audrey Hepburn’s marriage ceremony attire proceed to affect sartorial views and particular person expression. Her cultural impression may also be traced to her on- and off-screen bridal fashion, most famously to the designs she wore over a 40-year friendship and collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy. On the forefront and creation of eternal trend developments, Hepburn even impressed the up to date bridal trend world to embrace the black-and-white marriage ceremony costume after she debuted a strapless embroidered organza Givenchy robe throughout a shocking celebration scene in 1954’s Sabrina.
“She is what folks imply once they say they wish to look ‘basic and timeless,’ or ‘elegant however no fuss,’” says Lily Kaizer, proprietor of luxurious classic wedding-dress salon Comfortable Isles.
The “Fortunate” (Virtually) Wedding ceremony Costume
Whereas filming 1953’s Roman Vacation, Hepburn was engaged to English industrialist James Hanson. So she commissioned the Fontana sisters, who additionally collaborated with Edith Head on Hepburn’s costumes within the movie, to design her marriage ceremony costume.
Elegant and pared-down, Hepburn’s first marriage ceremony costume supplied a glimpse right into a trend icon’s definitive perspective: demure boatneck, lengthy sleeves, and a playful high-low hemline. In the end, she known as off the nuptials and requested the sisters to donate the design. “[I want the dress] to be worn by one other lady for her marriage ceremony, maybe somebody who couldn’t ever afford a costume like mine—probably the most lovely, poor Italian lady you could find,” the long run UNICEF ambassador reportedly mentioned.
Audrey Hepburn’s first marriage ceremony costume from the 2009 public sale.By Tony Trasmundi/Courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions.
The couturiers discovered a recipient, Amiable Altobella, and invited her to their Rome atelier for alterations. “The entire expertise should have been unimaginable for [Altobella and her fiancé],” says Kerry Taylor, founding father of London-based Kerry Taylor Auctions, of the couple’s go to from the town of Latina.
“They’d three daughters and 5 grandchildren. Amiable mentioned, ‘I’ve had a contented marriage, so the costume introduced me luck’ and that was very a lot the sensation when the costume was handed over,” says Taylor, who auctioned the costume in 2009 for $23,000. “The entire household felt such pleasure at having had one thing so particular and so distinctive.”
The Balmain Wedding ceremony Costume
After a whirlwind romance, Hepburn married American actor Mel Ferrer on September 25, 1954, in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.
twenty fifth September 1954: Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer on their marriage ceremony day. Costume designed by Balmain. By Ernst Haas/Getty Photos.
