Givenchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Givenchy - Essay Example Explain 6 pictures, use 4 books and 4 websites as references/sources. I. Introduction (250 words) Hubert de Givenchy was a designer in the mid-20th century who began the famous House of Givenchy. Givenchy was the driving force behind a majority of the wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, an actress who became a major film star with the blockbuster movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. â€Å"Hubert†¦[was] a brilliant young designer (twenty-six to Audrey [Hepburn’s] twenty-four)[,] who had worked under de Segonzac at Schiaparelli before leaving in December of 1951†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wasson, 2010, pp. 38). He got his start in designing clothes that were elegant and fashionable—yet practical for the modern woman of his day. Some years later, Riccardo Tisci would take over his fashion empire in 2005, bringing to the House of Givenchy a drastically different style and taking the company in a new artistic direction. Known for his bold use of dark colors—especially black— Tisci took his knowledge of Givenchy’s style and put his own unique spin on that staple of the fashion industry. Here three samples from Givenchy’s work himself—as well as Tisci’s work—will be examined. It was attempted to match sample garments that, at least indirectly, resembled each other. These pieces will be analyzed in detail. The first piece is a plain black dress; the second piece is an overcoat; and the third piece is a coat. Each piece will be compared and contrasted and thoroughly analyzed in order to see what drove and drives each of these artists (Hubert and Riccardo) respectively. Finally, conclusions will be made regarding both of the artists. II. How the Socio-Cultural Environment Led to Different Artistic Interpretations (250 words) Courtesy: Rosenwald, 2011, pp. 1. In this first piece we see by Givenchy, this is a scene with Audrey Hepburn in an orange pea coat. It reminds one of the pea coats that were typical in the 1950s and 19 60s, similar to something that Jackie O might have warn. Jackie Kennedy, by the way, was also another popular devotee of Givenchy, having had many—if not a majority—of her wardrobes designed by him. Obviously, the length of this coat, and the bright color, catches one’s eye and draws one into the wearer’s visual field. Notice the high neckline, the fuzziness of the pea coat softening the appearance of Hepburn’s face. With a stunning hat, Givenchy accentuates Hepburn’s sophisticated look. Courtesy: â€Å"Paris, Feb. 28th, 2007,† 2007, pp. 1. Riccardo Tisci, as the 21st-century lead designer at House of Givenchy, came out with the Japanese mariner-style coat, pictured above, for the 2007 fashion line. Obviously not a pea coat, this style takes a page from a different culture’s playbook of an era and co-opts it in order to make a fashion statement. The industrial look is now ‘in.’ Tisci has this model dressed entirely head-to-toe in black. Strikingly sleek and visually interesting, this jacket has a short, clean cut with a lapel. The neckline is not raised at all, and this jacket is rather form-fitting instead of Givenchy’s more bulky pea coat. This highlights the 21st-century necessity for streamlined lines and utilitarianism. Any kind of frivolous use of space in the design is now wasteless, whereas it used to be fun to have features on a garment piece that were not necessarily utility features. Now, everyone is