This morning, Givenchy announced the passing of its founder, Hubert de Givenchy, on the brand's Instagram account following a statement made by his family. He was 91 years old.
As WWD reports, founding his namesake label in 1952, Givenchy had a large hand in fostering the styles of some of the most iconic women in history. Well-known for dressing mid-century idols like Audrey Hepburn (who can forget her iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's dress and the entire Funny Face wardrobe) and Jackie Kennedy, who he provided with a lineup of custom ensembles, Givenchy was responsible for creating famous looks for some of fashion and Hollywood's most prominent figures before retiring in 1995.
The array of current celebrities who choose his fashion house for red-carpet events (remember Kim Kardashian West's floral gown and Beyoncé's nude latex gown, both worn at recent Met Galas?) prove just how deep his visionary legacy runs.
It feels like we're losing fashion's major figureheads one by one (Azzedine Alaïa just passed at the end of last year), but it helps to look to the industry's younger talents, from Raf Simons to Simon Porte of Jacquemus — and, of course, Clare Waight Keller, Givenchy's current and first female artistic director — to carry fashion forward. For now, though, we'll be scrolling through our Instagram and looking back on the iconic legacy Givenchy has left behind.