French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy has died

French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, who created famous looks for Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy, has died at the age of 91. His partner Philippe Venet, a former couture designer, confirmed the news. The enduring appeal of Givenchy was showcased at this year’s Oscars, where Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman wore a custom design. But the designer is best known for the iconic “little black dress” worn by the world’s most beautiful woman, Audrey Hepburn, in the Academy award-winning Breakfast at Tiffany’s. “It was…an enormous help to know that I looked the part…Then the rest wasn’t so tough anymore. Givenchy’s lovely simple clothes [gave me] the feeling of being whoever I played,” Hepburn said of their partnership. The friendship between Givenchy and Hepburn endured for 40 years, and helped cement his place in fashion – and cinema – history. She became his muse, and he designed her suits and woollen dresses for the musical Funny Face in 1957, and the light-hearted heist caper How to Steal a Million in 1966. Fame came in the 1950s, and for three decades, he dressed some of the most beautiful women in the world. He’s credited with introducing the notion of separates to give women greater freedom to choose, and with being one of the first clothes designers to create his own perfume.