(Video footage of Audrey Hepburn Oscar winning night)

Audrey Hepburn Oscar Night

It was Thursday, March 25th, 1954 at the RKO Pantages Theatre in New York. Frank Sinatra won the Oscar for best actor, Walt Disney took home four Oscars, From Here To Eternity won the award for Best Motion Picture, and Jean Hersholt presented Audrey Hepburn with the Academy Award for Best Actress. The moment would go down in Hollywood history as one of many fashion victories for Audrey. As effortlessly as only Audrey can do, the actress accepted her award only moments after removing her wig and costume makeup from the play, Ondine, which she had just wrapped down the street before being whisked away in her limousine and rushed to the RKO! Source Here.

FUN FACT: Audrey “lost” her award while on her way to the post ceremony press conference.  She was handed an extra one for her to hold for picture being taken.  Luckily, they eventually found where she left it.  Read about the whole story in this free google book here.

The Designer of Audrey Hepburn’s Oscar Dress

Audrey of course chose Givenchy for the occasion, her favorite designer who would not only dress her personally and professionally, but become a close confidant who she would develop a deep and connected friendship with for over forty years. A blossoming and barely known Audrey had sought out Givenchy just a short time prior to insist he transform her and her character for the film Sabrina, which he reluctantly and wisely did. That meeting of minds would prove to be the beginning of a fashion fairy tale. The duo would engage in a delicate dance of designer and doll, and an intricate tango of inspiration and muse for years to come. At times it was unclear who was bolstering who, as both the adored actress and haute designer elevated one another’s careers significantly. Audrey once told Givenchy he was like her big brother. One thing was certain, Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy shared an unequivocal courtship of charisma and couture.  Source Here.

The Oscar Dress

The Givenchy ensemble proved to be no less iconic than several others she would don in years to come. The dress was a belted A-line ballerina length masterpiece. Cream colored soft, floral lace details and Audrey’s signature straight horizontal neckline made it a classic piece which would later go on to be featured in museums. Interestingly, that particular neckline was previously referred to décolleté bateau, and was later quipped as décolleté Sabrina thanks to the actress’s preference for it. The back of the dress was something fit for a ballerina, featured delicate spaghetti strapped and a button-up back. The dress was not simply from a Givenchy collection. It was made by Hubert de Givenchy himself.

The Style

Perhaps the only thing that could make the dress prettier was to drape it on the gorgeous Audrey. Her petite frame paired with her strong broad shoulders, and toned arms elevated the dress to new standards of elegance. Paired with a slicked back pixie cut and piecey bangs, Audrey’s delicate and feminine features were showcased flatteringly. The makeup was classic and simple, a full, bold brow Audrey favored, a slightly winged eye, and deep crimson lips. Audrey was always wise in accessorizing and this occasion was no exception as the muse knew the dress could stand on its own and chose to pair it only with simple pearl earrings. The look tied itself together completely, showcasing the effortless elegance, Audrey fashioned time and time again.

The Icon

The year 1954 proved to be a successful one for Miss Hepburn. The young actress’s career was bolstering from her Roman Holiday success, Oscar win, and was already in production on her next wildly successful film Sabrina. Her friendship with Givenchy was budding, and her style and beauty were being idolized by women all across America. Although the film she won an Oscar for only earned her $12,500, it was the catalyst to her success for years to come. With her insatiable beauty, talent, modesty, and armed with one of France’s most renowned designers as her new best friend, Audrey Hepburn was well on her way to becoming an unstoppable Hollywood legend.
For more information on Audrey, her Oscar night, or her fashion influences, check out the following links.

• https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1954

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Dress #1 – The Wedding Dress Audrey Hepburn Never Wore

Audrey Hepburn was engaged to James Hanson in 1950 and 7 years after the ravages of WWII. At that time, Audrey was in Italy acting alongside Gregory Peck in The Roman Holiday film. Few people today are aware of the difficulties she endured due to the Allied artillery shellings and the famine the Dutch suffered.

In those seven years, there were a lot of changes in Audrey’s life. One result was her decision to cancel her marriage to her fiancée, a rich Englishman, James Hanson. Even though her wedding gown was ready to be worn after being designed by the famous Fontana Sisters, Hepburn put her wedding off by stating, “The demands of their careers would keep them apart most of the time”.

The wedding was cancelled and the gown was hanging in the shop of the Fontana Sisters in Rome. Audrey asked the sisters to give the dress to a beautiful Italian girl who would never be able to afford such a dress. The sisters carried out Audrey’s generous request, and Amabile Altobella had the wedding gown of her dreams as a gift from Audrey.

In 1944, the Fontana sisters were famous for their designs of romantic ball and bridal gowns’ designs. The fabric of the gown was a bridal satin in an off-white color like so many bridal gowns of those days. The long-sleeved design was simply adorned but luxurious looking. A bow at the front center of the waist was the only decoration on the dress. The gown length was down to the ankles and slightly longer at the back. The neckline design was a Bateau that was similar to the wedding dress she wore in Funny Face.

Dress #2 – When Audrey Married Mel Ferrer

Audrey Hepburn’s first walk down the marriage aisle was on September 25, 1954 when she married the actor Mel Ferrer. The wedding dress she wore was a Pierre Balmain design which flared, tea-length dress adorned with a bridal satin sash. Audrey’s style in gowns and dresses often included a high neckline and her wedding dress was no exception. The unique high neckline of this wedding dress was in the shape of a stand-up Peter Pan collar. The ballgown sleeves and elbow-length gloves added a touch of sophisticated elegance to her fashionable wedding gown. A floral crown was the perfect finishing detail of her wedding day outfit.

When Audrey and Mel married, the ceremony took place in the City Hall of a small town on a lake shoreline. The first ceremony was followed by a wedding ceremony the next day in the church detachment. Only their closest friends and relatives were in attendance. The Swiss police were careful to prevent a single stranger from attending.

Even though the couple announced that they were leaving for their honeymoon in Italy after the ceremony, they secretly returned to their home to celebrate alone.

Dress #3 – When Audrey Married Andrea Dotti

In 1969, Audrey married for the second time to an Italian psychiatrist, Andrea Dotti. The town hall wedding took place in Morges, Switzerland. The dress Audrey wore was designed by the famous Hubert de Givenchy who also designed those many iconic pieces Audrey wore in her movie roles.

Her dress was a simple design in pale pink with a mini-dress length. As so many of Audrey’s dresses were high necked showing her gorgeous swan-like neck so too was this one with a funnel neckline. The long sleeves of the dress ended in a ruffle along with gloves to add to the formality of the occasion. Her accessories for the day were a modest pair of white ballet flats and white tights. A matching headscarf finished off the totally unassuming look for the day.

Dress #4 – Audrey Hepburn’s Wedding Dress in Funny Face

Hepburn’s wedding dress in Funny Face set the scene for generations to come’s classic and stylish dresses. The graceful combination of tulle and bridal satin in white was to be worn by many a bride.

Every bride loves the idea of dancing at her wedding and the style of a tea-length dress like Hepburn’s was the choice of many for that reason. The dancing pair of Audrey and Fred Astaire may have appeared pristine and graceful, but, in fact, mud and slippery grass blighted them. After waiting twenty years to dance with Fred Astaire, Audrey joked about the experience by saying all she got was mud in her eye.

Another style element of the dress was the beautiful Sabrina neckline and with a lovely veil added to the ensemble that created an exquisite and dainty look by Givenchy perfect for any wedding day. Features of this classic ’50s style dress included a full skirt of many tulle layers and tight bodice.

If you’re planning a vintage ’50s or ’60s themed wedding, Audrey’s 1957 Funny Face gown would be perfect. It may be a vintage design, but it certainly wouldn’t look out of place on today’s catwalk. For more bride’s dresses similar to Hepburn’s visit Cutting Edge Brides Online.

Where to get an Inspired Audrey Hepburn Wedding Dress

Wedding Dress Fantasy (also check cutting edge brides up above) can bring you back in time with a gorgeous bridal gown created with luxurious bridal satin and inspired by Audrey Hepburn. Your wedding dress can be fully customized according to your wishes. The gown can be created with or without a train, high neckline, in any color or with other options you may want.

Audrey Flaunts Gorgeous Givenchy Design at 1954 Academy Awards

The most popular dress of the 1954 Academy Awards is believed by many to be the French designer Hubert de Givenchy’s creation worn by Audrey Hepburn. This was the first of a lasting professional association. Following that evening, Audrey wore Givenchy designs for seven of her movies and often wore his clothes off-screen as well. The dress for the evening was one with a white floral pattern. Its tight belt emphasized the fabulous slim waistline of Audrey’s.

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Get ready for the top 5 most glamorous Audrey Hepburn Dresses.  Now…everyone has their vices! Be it wine, dating, or a movie with popcorn, there is always that one thing that you can’t resist when it comes to spending time and money. As you can imagine, it becomes more complicated when you’re a celebrity! Graced with more money and less time, finding your vice through the daily hubbub can be a frustrating challenge. After all, everyone needs to cut loose every once in a while, especially after a hard day’s work!

Audrey was once quoted saying this on the set of Sabrina:

“Clothes are positively a passion with me…l love them to the point where it is practically a vice.”

While every facet of her style was fashionable, the area where Audrey Hepburn truly shined was in her choice of dresses. It is safe to say that a new dress was Audrey’s true vice! She adored wearing the newest trends and certainly made a point to set a few herself. Nearly every movie Hepburn starred in has an iconic dress to go with it.

Please let me know if you don’t think these are the top 5 Audrey Hepburn dresses and comment with your favorite dress and reasons to back it up!

Here are some of the most glamorous:

My Fair Lady Dress – Ascot Riding Outfit

Photo Source: Movie Costume Lovers

The ostentatious black and white ensemble sported by Eliza Doolittle at the Royal Ascot Races is one of the most unique costumes ever worn by Miss Hepburn onscreen. Renowned English costume designer Cecil Beaton made this extraordinary piece for the actress, who is usually known for his classically cut, timeless silhouettes.  Beaton was known for designing in Gigi as well, and is up there with the best of them as a curator of stylish and original designs for film and stage superstars like Audrey.

This exquisite ensemble features layers upon layers of lace ruffles, full sleeves, a mermaid silhouette, black and white striped ribbons, and a larger-than-life-hat topped with flowers. Based on looks alone, no one in the film could’ve guessed that Hepburn’s character wasn’t a born-and-bred member of high society while wearing this outfit.

The actress Debbie Reynolds, of “Singin’ In the Rain” fame, paid 100,000 to own the outfit, which sold for 3.7 million dollars at an auction of her private collection on June 19^th, 2011.

This is arguably one of the most famous garments ever designed for a movie, and one of Beaton’s most acclaimed works. His designs for My Fair Lady earned him the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1964.

Unfortunately, if you want to buy this dress you’ll need to get it designed from scratch.  Nicole Kidman had designer L’Wren Scott make a dress inspired by this one, and you can safely assume it cost her a small fortune!  In terms of cost, this rivals the Breakfast at Tiffanys dress and makes the My Fair Lady Dress one of the most expensive Audrey Hepburn Dresses!

Red Audrey Hepburn Dresses from Funny Face

The movie in itself is a testament to fashion and all things couture, and it shows in every beautiful ensemble that Hepburn models in the film. One of the most stunning pieces she wears is this stunning red silk dress and organza shawl, one of the many designed for the actress in her career-long partnership with Hubert de Givenchy.

The story behind this and other dresses in Funny Face is interesting enough: Hubert de Givenchy was vouched for by Audrey following Edith Head’s Oscar for the designs in Sabrina, which Givenchy also contributed to but never saw the same credit for.  Audrey passionately and fervently defended his prowess and when Funny Face began production she reached out to Givenchy for the most prominent designs.

She wears this piece in the modeling montage where she poses, open armed in front of the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre. As she floats down the stairs surprising her co-star, a photographer played by Fred Astaire, she has finally come into her own as a model, despite her humble beginnings as a bookstore clerk.

Unfortunately, this too doesn’t exist in the market for dress-lovers.  Your best bet would be to design one yourself, or maybe, drop Givenchy a line!  This is one of tne of the boldest colored Audrey Hepburn dresses of the bunch that I’ve seen her wear… or am I wrong and missing a dress?

Black Sabrina Dress

For her second major film with Paramount, Audrey sported this unique film-fashion staple, another Givenchy number. It helped to cement her place as one of the true pioneers of every woman’s closet essential: the little black dress.

This cocktail dress features a full skirt that fans out from the slimly tapered waistline and hits just below the knee.  The back features a v-cut, and small dainty bows adorning the straps. However, the most memorable aspect of this dress is the unique horizontal, high neckline that perfectly flattered Hepburn’s long neck, flat chest, and broad shoulders.  Givenchy finished it with the classic black gloves and pumps, and a cute little black hat that almost made it onto our list of the Top 5 Iconic Audrey Hepburn Hats.

Audrey’s looks in that film further proved that she was a stalwart fashion icon in Hollywood.  In fact, according to an interview with Givenchy published in Vanity Fair magazine in 1995, the designer says that the actress’s debut in his clothing was so pivotal that “what used to be called a décolleté bateau, afterward it was called the décolleté Sabrina.”

I Need this Dress… Where Can I Buy one?

Luckily, this dress has been recreated time and time again for Audrey fashion fans. You can find it here at the best price, and here and here for more of a custom / handmade effect.

The black Sabrina Dress is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn Dresses because of the old, vintage 1950’s look.  I think it’s a very classy look, with the spin out making it both cute and fun.

White Sabrina Dress with Black Embroidery

The jaw-dropping, strapless, white satin ball gown with black and gold embroidery worn for Audrey’s role in Sabrina also came courtesy of her partnership with Hubert de Givenchy. This organdy gown also has a detachable court train, lined with black ruffles and showcases beautiful floral embroidery, complete with delicate beadwork throughout.

According to Vanity Fair, Dreda Mele, who was both the owner of the Paris Armani boutique and a previous borrower of this dress sample, reminisced about the first time she saw Audrey in the dress, saying “She was something unreal—a fairy tale!” The characters in Sabrina obviously shared this sentiment, as she turned heads as the undisputed belle of the ball for arriving at the Larabee soiree in this regal piece.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Dress – Little Black Dress

Photo Source: Silverscreen Modes

The Breakfast at Tiffany’s black satin sheath dress is hands down the epitome of Audrey Hepburn’s individual brand of glamour. When you imagine the actress, this is the dress that you think of her wearing.

This piece, also masterminded by Givenchy, has become her trademark. Some sources say that the original dress designs were edited by costume designer Edith Head because too much leg was exposed. Regardless, the sleek, polished silhouette of this gown is particularly remarkable, especially on Hepburn’s slender and delicate figure. The half-moon shape of the neckline of the back of this dress gives the perfect frame for the oversized pearls she draped around her neck to accessorize.

The character in the dress was the one-and-only Holly Golightly, now the timeless characterization of feminine allure and strength.  Without the dress, her impact on audiences across the world, then as well as today, would surely have been different.

The Dress can be seen in this scene below:

What were YOUR Favorite Audrey Hepburn Dresses?

You have a better dress for the list?? Do you think there should be a dress added to this list? Roman Holiday? Maybe Love in the Afternoon?  Let me knooooow!

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