“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.” – Audrey Hepburn
Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend. I met Lizzie Harrell for brunch and some vintage shopping today. I found the cutest (circa 1960) straw handbag, it was the one find I couldn’t pass up. Speaking of Lizzie…she so graciously wrote this weeks collaboration post, so I’m gonna let her take over from here!
We’re back for week two of the iconic women collaboration with S.J. over at All Glam No Filter! Hope you enjoyed last week’s feature on Marilyn Monroe. This week is all about the lovely, charismatic, and courageous, Audrey Hepburn.
Before Audrey Hepburn became a fashion icon and one of the most celebrated actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, she was a teenage activist during WWII. Although her parents were Nazi sympathizers, Audrey supported the resistance by donating money she earned from ballet recitals and serving as an underground courier.
After the war, Audrey began modeling and acting in minor roles in film. Her career began to take off when she was cast as the lead in Gigi on Broadway with a successful six month run. Shortly after she was chosen for Roman Holiday, her first Hollywood film starring opposite Gregory Peck, and catapulted into stardom. Ironically, Truman Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the role that became Hepburn’s most iconic.
She was a fashion maven and the muse of her close friend Hubert de Givenchy: “His are the only clothes in which I am myself.” Starting with Funny Face, Audrey requested he design all her future costumes for film, and he designed much of her personal wardrobe as well. Shortly before her death, Hepburn gave Givenchy more than 25 dresses he designed for her.
Audrey died of cancer at the early age of 63, but not before spending the final years of her life as an ambassador for UNICEF. She raised awareness in the media, worked on nutrition projects and literacy programs, provided drinking water, and more around the globe. As a child she had received food and medical relief after WWII and approached her work with UNICEF as an expression of gratitude.
For our photo project, we recreated two Audrey Hepburn looks: Audrey in her big black hat from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the balloon scene at the Arc de Triomphe from Funny Face.
Hope you enjoyed this tribute to the amazing Audrey Hepburn! We have more incredible, iconic women to bring you in the weeks ahead.