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Hepburn at Givenchy’s atelier in Paris, 1956
Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy were lifelong friends. Here, she is pictured in the designer’s Parisian atelier in 1956, a few years after she starred in Sabrina. “You conquer the catwalks, the couturiers, the photographers, the unforgettable images of bistros and Parisian counters, but you always remain true to yourself. This naturalness of yours in entering the culture of another while managing to remain totally intact is the most extraordinary thing ,” wrote Giambattista Valli, a fellow designer, in the foreword to Audrey Hepburn in Paris.
At a dance class with Lucien Legrand at the Paris Ballet
“Funny Face was Audrey’s first film musical,” recounts Friedlander. “The original 1927 Broadway stage musical had been composed by Ira and George Gershwin and starred Audrey’s Funny Face costar, Fred Astaire, and his sister, Adele… Before production began in the spring of 1956, Audrey spent two months in Paris studying with Lucien Legrand, the first dancer and choreographer of the Paris Opera Ballet. Audrey had studied ballet as a child and danced in stage musicals in London after World War II, but… it had been years since Audrey had attended dance classes… Her long absence from dancing plagued her with self-doubt, but her diligence paid off in the end.”
With makeup artists Alberto de Rossi and Maurice Chevalier on set
“Audrey’s schedule leaves little time for relaxation; shortly after production wrapped on Funny Faceshe redirected her attention to her next film. Love in the Afternoonloosely based on the novel Ariane, Jeune Fille Russe by Claude Anet, reunited Audrey with her Sabrina director, Billy Wilder.” This photograph shows her on set for the film, which was shot in Paris in 1957.
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Hepburn at the café Les Deux Magots
Seen here in a photograph for a fashion shoot at the famous Parisian literary hangout, Les Deux Magots, in 1979, Hepburn is wearing classic monochrome polka dots. Named after a pair of Chinese philosopher statues in the interior, this iconic café has hosted the likes of Hemingway, James Joyce and many more artists for a glass of champagne in its Art Deco environment.
Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy on Île Saint-Louis in Paris in 1979
Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy enjoyed a lifelong friendship which inspired them both in their art. “”It is difficult to analyze the special chemistry between the actress and designer or pinpoint who does the most for whom,” Jill Gerston of the Philadelphia Enquirer said of the enduring team. “Their success goes deeper than a well-placed tuck or an extra pleat. No doubt it has something to do with their deep, longstanding friendship, which enables them to work together as a team – experimenting, adjusting, pooling ideas – rather than as simply ‘dressmaker’ and ‘mannequin’. Together they enhance each other.””
At the French rose garden, La Roseraie de L’Haÿ, in 1993
“”Dear rose, thy joy’s undimmed, thy cup is ruby-rimmed, thy cup’s heart nectar brimmed.” These are the lyrical words by poet Robert Browning recited by Audrey Hepburn in the opening scene from the television series, Gardens of the World. The premiere episode, ‘Roses and Rose Gardens’, shows Audrey, dressed in a pale pink Ralph Lauren suit, strolling through La Roseraie de L’Haÿ, a rose garden south of Paris in Val-de-Marne, France. Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn was an award-winning eight-part documentary series exploring more than fifty of the most charming and captivating gardens in Europe, Asia and North America.”
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In Monet’s garden, Giverny, in 1993
For Gardens of the World“Audrey arrived in Paris in mid-June for a five-day shoot showcasing some of the most renowned gardens that France had to offer… Her first stop, on June 11, was Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France, fifty miles northwest of Paris.”Perhaps in no flower garden in the world is there a freer and more exhilarating use of color than the one here in the French town of Giverny”… Audrey proclaims as she stands in the backdrop of some of Monet’s most well-known paintings .”
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