Hubert de Givenchy retired from his fashion house in 1995.
Givenchy founded his Paris couture house in 1952 after working for designers including Jacques Fath, Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli. His debut collection, Les Séparables, quickly established his reputation for elegant separates, including the famous Bettina blouse.
His career lasted more than four decades. He became especially renowned for dressing Audrey Hepburn, whose screen and personal wardrobe helped make Givenchy one of the best-known names in modern fashion. He also designed for clients such as Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Marlene Dietrich.
Retirement did not mean the end of the Givenchy label. The house had been acquired by LVMH in 1988, and the brand continued under new creative leadership after Givenchy’s departure. John Galliano succeeded him in 1995, followed later by Alexander McQueen and other designers. A common mix-up is treating 1995 as the year the house was sold; the sale occurred earlier, while 1995 marks the founder’s retirement.