The garments I’m working with are a printed silk evening dress and coat designed by Hubert de Givenchy from 1972. Both garments were made specifically for one client, Claudia Heard de Osbourne, to wear to a wedding in Spain. Claudia had a close relationship with the designer Cristobal Balenciaga and had many clothes designed by him specially for her, prior to the closing of his house where she then turned to Givenchy. Although he had retired, Balenciaga was the consultant during the making of the ensemble. There’s a reoccurring trend in Givenchy’s work with the use of wide shoulders and setting a straight sleeve, which is gathering the sleeve’s cap and mounting it to the armhole of the garment. What inspired this repeated technique and style?
