There’s A Reason Why Audrey Hepburn’s Style Is Still So Celebrated

It’s not just the catwalks that can serve memorable style moments. Some films (and, recently, TV shows), too, have established themselves as much a part of fashion history as they are the cinematic cannon; just look at Diane Keaton’s mannish suits in Annie Hall or Uma Thurman’s white shirt in Pulp Fiction, Alicia Silverstone’s plaid skirt suit in Clueless or Catherine Deneuve’s entire Yves Saint Laurent wardrobe in Belle du Jour. Like a great film, a classic look will always endure and delight.

Both off screen and on – in films like Funny Face,Sabrina,Roman HolidayandMy Fair Lady – Audrey Hepburn proved to be one of those rare people who truly deserved ‘fashion icon’ status. Poised and charming in equal measure, Hepburn’s style and beauty (her brows make even Hepburn lookalike Lily Collins’ look meagre) continue to be as captivating now as they were at the height of her fame in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

The ingredients of the Hepburn look then? Pieces you probably have in your wardrobe now: cigarette pants, black polo necks, trench coats, ballet flats, head scarves. Her sophistication dazzled in its simplicity.

Hepburn was also the wearer of arguably the most famous little black dress in history: the Hubert de Givenchy one she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. A floor length, satin sheath, as Truman Capote's Holly Golightly she wore it with opera gloves, oversized sunglasses and a multi-strand pearl necklace. Nearly 60 years after the film’s release, it is still the definition of impeccable chic and pared-back glamour, so much so that even the ubiquity of the image on ‘basic’ merch cannot dampen its impact.

The Hepburn/Givenchy relationship was one of perfect fashion synergy, and he created many of her most iconic on-screen looks. To him she was ‘she was an enchantress, inspiring love and beauty, and fairies never quite disappear altogether’; to her his were ‘the only ones I feel myself in. He is more than a designer, he is a creator of personality’.

They first met in 1953, when Hepburn was filming Sabrina and wanted him to design clothes for the film. Initially he was unimpressed – having expected to be meeting with the then more famous Katharine Hepburn – but the actress was tenacious. When she invited him to dinner, he fell in love with her and the fashion fairytale began. She was also an ambassador for the brand off-screen; Hepburn chose a white lace Givenchy gown to collect her Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday in 1954; Givenchy also created the ballet slipper pink funnel neck dress Hepburn wore for her wedding to Andrea Dotti in 1969 (take note modern brides in search of a non-traditional wedding dress).

Of course, real style icons always have the underpinning of substance and a documentary released last year sheds light on the woman behind the image. Produced by Nick Taussig and Annabel Wigoder, the team behind the excellent McQueendocumentary, Audrey: More Than An Icon is a compelling exploration of the pain Hepburn endured – from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland to her heartbreak and divorces, her navigation of fame to difficulty in accepting her looks (proof, surely, that no woman is immune to insecurity, and luminous beauty is no insurance policy against pain - see also the renewed interest in all things Princess Diana).

It also explores her work with Unicef, as one of the charity’s first Goodwill Ambassadors, spurred on by her conviction that no child should live in suffering. Above all, the documentary is a reminder that Hepburn should be remembered for many things – a great wardrobe is just one of them. WatchAudrey: More Than An Iconhereand revisit some of her very best looks below...