The history at the roots of Givenchy is just as rich and inspiring as all of its collections. No talk about haute couture is complete without the mention of Givenchy, a high fashion brand that always manages to make waves in the world of fashion.
The French brand has managed to create a legacy of its own and is adored by celebrities and people alike. As an all-inclusive brand, Givenchy designs head-turning garments for men, women, and children. It also creates incredible bags, perfumes, makeup, shoes, and accessories that have you clamoring for more!
Each article that hails from the Givenchy House of Fashion bears signature traits that set it apart. The fresh take on femininity and elegance reflected in each Givenchy product makes it one-of-a-kind. Be it haute couture or prêt-à-porter fashion, no one does it better than Givenchy.
If you have always been keen on learning more about one of the top 10 leading fashion houses, come along as we take a deep dive into its history.
The magnificent origin and beyond
Givenchy took the French fashion world by storm in 1952, when the founder, creative genius Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, released his very first collection called Les Séparables. It instantly became the talk of the town and was critically acclaimed by Vogue, The New York Times, and many others. The collection featured blouses with voluminous sleeves and skirts of beautiful silhouettes. It also paid homage to the French fashion model Bettina Graziani with the white Bettina Blouse.
Before establishing the brand, Hubert Givenchy amassed vast experience working in fashion. He realized his passion at the age of 17 and worked tirelessly to learn the inner workings of the industry. He received his education from École des Beaux-Arts and even got to serve as the artistic director at the Schiaparelli boutique. He also had the good fortune of making the acquaintance of Christian Dior and Jacques Fath prior to the inception of his brand.
Hubert Givenchy has quite a few innovations to his name; he was the mastermind behind the popular shirt dress that is popular to this day. Furthermore, Givenchy was among the pioneer brands to offer prêt-à-porter or ready-to-wear garments that were exponentially more fashionable than what people were used to. This provided people with the opportunity to indulge their love for fashion on a day-to-day basis.
Here’s another fun fact, L’Interdit was the first fragrance that paved the way for Parfums Givenchy, the brand’s line of exquisite fragrances. The word ‘interdit’ means forbidden in French, and this legendary perfume was a product of the cherished friendship between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. Only the actress got to wear the scent for a long time before it was put on shelves for sale to the general public. L’Interdit was followed by Monsieur de Givenchy, l’Eau de Vetiver, and Givenchy III. While L’Interdit remains to be a crowd favorite, Gentlemen Only Intense, Gentleman Reserve Privée, Irresistible, and Amarige are also among the popular fragrances from the brand.
We all know about Givenchy’s fabulous men’s line today, but the brand didn’t always have a men’s high fashion line. Gentleman Givenchy greeted the world in 1969 and proceeded to win hearts and set trends in the global fashion industry.
Givenchy’s Logo
The Givenchy logo represents one of the world’s most celebrated fashion houses and therefore carries a lot of importance. The first logo was designed by Pierre Dinand and was perfect in its own way. The emblem has been reinvented since then; in 2003, Paul Barnes was given the responsibility to create the one being used today.
It consists of four uppercase ‘Gs’ coming together to form a symmetrical square pattern with the brand’s name written underneath. The design strikes a balance between minimalistic and bold, immediately grasping the onlooker’s attention. Today it is synonymous with unmatched quality and elegant luxury, representing a name known to everyone worldwide.
The Givenchy aesthetic
The label can never be caught producing mundane clothes, as it always puts forth distinct designs bordering on eccentric. Most pieces may not suit everyone’s taste, but they remain true to the brand’s vision and ideologies. One can not deny that the fashion house possesses a remarkable quality that has helped it stay relevant with time and at the top of the chain.
When Hubert Givenchy was at the helm of the brand, he used to opt for fabrics, prints, and cuts that resonated with him, not caring about what the world expected but staying true to himself. His aim was never to feed the idea of mainstream fashion but to carve a unique place solely for his brand. The designer’s garments typically featured an array of vibrant colors, luxurious fabrics, bold prints, and exemplary cuts.
Hubert Givenchy retired in 1995 with a myriad of accolades to his name, and the succeeding creative heads continued to add their unique flair to the brand while keeping the originality intact. For instance, Riccardo Tisci ’dark and sensual romanticism’ to the table. It is worth mentioning that Alexander McQueen was also a Givenchy designer.
A star-studded affair
Givenchy has been a go-to brand for celebrities everywhere, for movies, official events, or private celebrations. An actress who will always have an unbreakable link with the brand is Audrey Hepburn, as she was both a muse and a dear friend to Hubert Givenchy. From being the inspiration behind L’Interdit, she would also receive prototypes of upcoming collections. Audrey was known to sport Givenchy fashion in real life and movies, including Sabrina, Love in the Afternoon, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, Paris When It Sizzles, How to Steal a Million, and Bloodline. Do you have any recollection of the ‘little black dress that she wore in Breakfast At Tiffany? The garment was a Givenchy masterpiece, and it was sold for €600,000 at an auction in 2006.
If you remember the iconic outfits from Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour, they were designed by Givenchy. Emma Stone, Lady Gaga, and Julianne Moore have recently been spotted in Givenchy finery.
The label has also had the honor of dressing quite a few celebrity brides for their big days, such as Meghan Markle, Kim Kardashian, Audrey Hepburn, Meadow Walker, and Lara Stone.
Givenchy around the world
The fashion powerhouse is located in 69 countries around the globe which include Australia, France, Hong Kong SAR, Italy, Japan, Macau SAR, Mainland China, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, UAE, UK, and the USA. Out of all the boutiques that the brand owns, 50 are directly operated stores. In order to stay close to its roots, Givenchy has 3 lavish outlets on Avenue George V in Paris; it is where Hubert Givenchy established his fashion house in 1959.
Givenchy x Atome
If all this talk about fashion has you tempted to finally purchase the Givenchy bag, t-shirt, lipstick, or shoes you have had your gaze set on, we have some great news for you! Givenchy has joined hands with Atome Malaysia to offer a favorable shopping experience to fashion aficionados.
Atome is a coming-of-age payment application that lets you shop stress-free with the most convenient payment plans. It splits the bill into three smaller payments that are supposed to be paid at regular intervals. The payments are free of interest, with plenty of gaps between each due date.
Along with Givenchy, you can use Atome at other renowned brands such as Nike, Adidas, Lenovo, etc. That’s not all; the app also works with several local brands, making most products and services increasingly accessible. All in all, Atome is affiliated with over 15,000 brands of local and international origins. The exciting part is that most brands offer exclusive value deals and discounts to Atome shoppers, making everything more budget-friendly.
The steps of becoming an Atome user are straightforward; all you need to do is download the application (get it here) and sign up by creating an account. Thanks to the user-friendly interface, you will be navigating the app in no time. New members will also receive a discount voucher worth RM15 for purchases worth RM50 or more.
In-store shopping with Atome
Givenchy has a boutique at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, and you can use the app there for an incredible shopping spree; just follow these steps when it’s time to pay.
- Open the Atome application on your mobile phone and use it to scan the QR code at the checkout counter.
- Plug in the total amount of your bill into the app.
- Apply the available voucher code.
- Review the payment schedule.
- Make the first payment up front and take the products home.
- The app will take care of the subsequent payments by charging them to the credit or debit card added to your Atome account.
Whether you have immense appreciation for a good fashion moment or simply want to pamper yourself by splurging a little, this is the perfect opportunity. Givenchy ranks among the original high fashion brands and is rightfully acclaimed for all of its creations. If you have been eyeing something at the House of Givenchy, head over to the boutique now and shop your heart out. Make sure to use Atome for some incredible perks.
