Tributes to fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy

News of the designer’s death - in his sleep of natural causes - was confirmed on Monday March 12, by his partner Philippe Venet.

Born in 1927, Mr Givenchy launched his eponymous fashion house when he was just 25 years old, and the first ever Givenchy fashion show took place in 1952.

Mr Givenchy sold the fashion house to luxury goods giant LVMH in 1998, but not before it had become known for creating the black dress worn by actress Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

Ms Hepburn teamed the simple dress with rows of pearls, sunglasses, black gloves, a cigarette holder and a tiara, in a look that would become iconic in cinema history.

CEO of parent company LVMH, Bernaud Arnault, paid tribute to the designer.

Mr Arnault said: “Among the designers who definitively put Paris at the top of the fashion world in the 1950s, Hubert de Givenchy made his fashion house a special place. From long ball gowns to daily fashions, Hubert de Givenchy managed to unite two rare qualities: innovative and timeless.”

The fashion house itself also published a statement in support of its founder.

It called Mr Givenchy “a major personality in the world of French haute couture” and “a gentleman who symbolised Parisian chic and elegance for half a century”.

It added: “Today, his approach and influence in fashion continues to influence. His work is as pertinent now as it ever was.”