If we know Hubert de Givenchy as an iconic fashion designer, we know less about his love for decoration and beautiful objects. This was without counting the exceptional auction organized by Christie’s.
Hubert de Givenchy took his first steps in fashion with Jacques Fath, Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli, before presenting his first eponymous Haute Couture collection in 1952. The following year, he met the actress Audrey Hepburn, who became his muse and wore his outfits on screen and in the city. Jackie Kennedy, Bunny (Mrs. Paul) Mellon, who opened her eyes to contemporary art, and Princess Grace of Monaco all enjoyed his designs.
But Hubert de Givenchy had another passion: collecting and embellishing homes. “He was constantly animated by home improvement projects,” explains Cécile Verdier, president of Christie’s France. “He had many places in his life, an apartment on rue Fabert, a mansion on rue de Grenelle, a country house in the Paris region, a chalet in Megève […] He very quickly mixed some 18th century furniture with modern works, collected very early on. Then he reduced his modern collection to focus on the 18th century and this universal spirit of neoclassicism.”
Christie’s auction house is currently selling the contents of his last Parisian home, the Hôtel d’Orrouer, built in 1732 by Pierre Boscry, and his Touraine residence, the Château du Jonchet.
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More than 1,200 lots that belonged to the designer are presented at Christie’s, before being sold on June 14. The Kugel gallery located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris also pays tribute to the designer.
The Kugel brothers and their father, who represent the sixth generation of art dealers, were with Givenchy for more than 50 years. “He would buy on a whim, but he had a very sure eye for great French taste, and we trained alongside him,” comments Alexis Kugel.
At Christie’s, we find the famous Green Lounge with a dozen pieces of Boulle furniture, which was located on the second floor of the Hotel d’Orrouer. “Most collectors start with the Louis XVI, then the Empire, and end with Boulle, whose revolutionary inventions inspired the 18th century,” says Charles Cator, vice president of Christie’s International. “Hubert de Givenchy started with Boulle, which has remained one of his great passions. The Green Room was perfection itself.” Among other things, a low bookcase stamped by Étienne Levasseur, a great interpreter of the Boulle manner in the 1 780s, will be discovered at the sale.
“Hubert de Givenchy Collector” sale by Christie’s from June 14 to 17 and from June 8 to 23 for online sales. The exhibition runs until June 15.
Read also > CHRISTIE’S : THE LONDON EDIT, THE EXCEPTIONAL SALE OF LUXURY BAGS
Featured photos : © Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
