Iconic fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, or to give him his full title, Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy passed away on March 10th of this year at the age of 91.  He founded the house of Givenchy in 1952 and was famed for his collaborations with actress Audrey Hepburn.  Marie Brennan from the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons spoke to Sean Rocks on Arena about his life, influence and that all-important relationship. "He was working very much with the woman as his focus, very simple, very couture-focused collections," said Marie, but his first encounter with Audrey wasn't particularly indicative of things to come.

"He had started to make a name for himself when the studio that Audrey Hepburn was working for made an appointment for her to meet Givenchy and he believed that he was meeting Katherine Hepburn who was an established actress at the time.  Audrey had just done one film…  Givenchy said, 'We have pieces over there, you can pick from the rack.  I do not have time to design anything especially for you."

The pair however soon became lifelong friends and Audrey became his muse.  Together, they popularized the lasting trend of the little black dress.

"He even went as far as creating a perfume inspired by her which was only supposed to be worn by her but she gave him permission to release it widely and she actually was the face of it and she never got anything for it.  She just did it out of her friendship for Givenchy.  He was one of the pall-bearers for her coffin when she died."

When it comes to what made Givenchy so special, Marie thinks it was his focus on the person he was dressing.

"I think he put the woman first and dressed the woman as opposed to dressing the model.  He made it kind of practical and wearable.  The pieces that we have at the Museum of Style Icons, they're timeless and, apart from the size of course of Audrey Hepburn, but you could see them on a modern woman, but his style and everything was just timeless and he will live on forever as an amazing fashion and style designer."

Click here to listen to Arena.

(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)