French couturier Hubert de Givenchy, a pioneer of ready-to-wear who designed Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, has died at the age of 91.

The artistic director of Givenchy, Clare Waight Keller, said on her official Instagram account she is “deeply saddened by the loss of a great man and artist I have had the honour to meet”.

Givenchy was part of the elite cadre of Paris-based designers, including Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, who redefined fashion after the Second World War.

The designer forged close friendships with his famous clients, among them Liz Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco.

Born into an aristocratic family in the provincial city of Beauvais on February 21 1927, Givenchy struck out for Paris in his late teens, in the wake of the Second World War.

Couturier Jacques Fath hired Givenchy on the strength of his sketches. He spent two years learning the basics of fashion design, from sketching to cutting and fitting haute couture styles.

Givenchy poses with mannequins in his shop in Paris in 1952 (AP)
Givenchy poses with mannequins in his shop in Paris in 1952 (AP)

After apprenticing with other top names, Givenchy founded his own house in 1952.

His debut collection ushered in the concept of separates – tops and bottoms that could be mixed and matched, as opposed to head-to-toe looks that were the norm among Paris couture purveyors.

Working on a tight budget, Givenchy served up the floor-length skirts and country chic blouses in raw white cotton materials normally reserved for fittings.

“Le Grand Hubert,” as he was often called for his 6ft 5in frame, became popular with privileged haute couture customers, and his label soon seduced the likes of Gloria Guinness, Wallis Simpson and Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran.

Givenchy retired in 1995 (AP)
Givenchy retired in 1995 (AP)

But the client whose name would become almost synonymous with the house was Audrey Hepburn, whom he met in 1953, when he dressed her for the romantic comedy Sabrina.

Legend has it that Givenchy – told only that Mademoiselle Hepburn would be coming in for a fitting – was expecting Katherine Hepburn. Instead, the diminutive Audrey showed up, dressed in cigarette pants, a T-shirt and sandals.

Thus began a decades-long friendship that saw Givenchy dress the star in nearly a dozen films, including the 1961 hit Breakfast At Tiffany’s. The sleeveless black evening gown she wore in the movie, complete with rows of pearls, elbow-length gloves and oversized shades, would end up becoming Givenchy’s most famous look.

Model Romilly Collins wears the black Givenchy dress made for actress Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (AP)
Model Romilly Collins wears the black Givenchy dress made for actress Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (AP)

Aiming to reach a wider market, Givenchy launched a line of upscale ready-to-wear and accessories in the 1960s. Its commercial success soon enabled him to buy out his backers, making him one of only a handful of Paris couturiers to own their own label outright.

In 1988, he sold the house to French luxury conglomerate LVMH, the parent company of a stable of top fashion labels that now includes Dior, Celine, Marc Jacobs, Pucci and Kenzo.

Givenchy retired in 1995, and was succeeded by John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Julien Macdonald, Italy’s Riccardo Tisci and its current chief designer, Clare Waight Keller, the first woman in the role.

Givenchy is survived by his companion, French couturier Philippe Venet.