American film star Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993), alias Edda van Heemstra, is reported to have said: 'Hubert de Givenchy is far more than a couturier: he creates personalities'. And with that she made Givenchy (born in 1927) world famous. Hubert de Givenchy excelled in a style that is associated with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. It was Givenchy who designed Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe for Billy Wilder's 1954 film 'Sabrina' and in 1961 her costumes for the cult picture 'Breakfast at Tiffany'. However, also the Duchess of Windsor and Sao Schlumberger were Givenchy clients.

Hubert de Givenchy (born in 1927) founded his couture house in 1952. He learnt the trade from his mentor Balenciaga (1895-1972) and worked for famous designers such as Jacques Fath, Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli. When Balenciaga closed his couture house in 1968 and his customers asked him where to go, Balenciaga pointed them in the direction of Givenchy, whose salon was situated across the street. Givenchy was the first couturier to introduce short skirts in 1958 so that women could show their knees for the first time since the 1920s. Hubert de Givenchy sold his house to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) in 1988 after 36 years of being his own boss.

Bernard Arnault, LVMH's chief, appointed John Galliano (born in 1961), a young British designer in 1995 as art director. Then another Brit, former punk Alexander McQueen (born in 1969) was appointed when Galliano moved on to the Paris couture house of Christian Dior in 1996. A 'son of the people' McQueen also attended St. Martin's College in London, from which Galliano had graduated a few years earlier. Prior to that he began his career at Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard. Agressive eccentricity has been and is the trademark of the youthful rebel Mc Queen. His triumphs include Kate Winslet's wedding dress in 1999.

LVMH is definitely into British designers for French haute couture houses. In March 2001, Julian Macdonald, the 'Welsh Versace', has been appointed to succeed Alexander Mc Queen at the top design post at Givenchy. Aged 28, Macdonald completed his studies at the Royal College of Art in London. He has worked for Mc Queen in the past and then for Karl Lagerfeld, who made him head of knitwear at Chanel. So what is Macdonald's style going to be? Well, people say that Macdonald is all about 'making posh frocks for posh girls...'. This is why his private celebrity customers include the Spice Girls and Joan Collins. In 2000, Macdonald produced the most expensive dress in catwalk history - a little black dress studded with diamonds worth about 1 million pounds. There is no doubt that Givenchy is becoming a label with a glamorous showbiz profile.

Address: Givenchy Haute Couture (by appointment only), Ms Alexandra de Clermont Tonnerre, 3 avenue George V, 75008 Paris, France, Phone: +33-1-4431 5000, Fax: +33-1-4431 5023, Website: www.givenchy.com