Givenchy and Venet

The Museo del Traje was honoured to receive the generous donation by Hubert de Givenchy and Philippe Venet, two of the drivers behind haute couture in the 20th century.

They worked in a context of extreme refinement in the 1950s and together they created the wardrobe for Audrey Hepburn’s films. They both clearly represent fashion as a cultural demonstration of the first order.

Givenchy has donated the amazing red satin evening gown with feather-covered bodice that belonged to the actress (1992-1994) and a purple velvet tailored suit (2002-2003), as well as the original sketches for both.

For his part, Philippe Venet donated two evening gowns, a coat from his 1990 collection and a jacket from 1991.

With these, the collections at the Museo del Traje CIPE, which since January 2003 has incorporated an astonishing 6,200 pieces, are noticeably enriched, as is the Cultural Heritage of our country.

On the October 19th 2005 the donations were presented in a ceremony presided by the Minister for Culture, Carmen Calvo, in the presence of the two benefactors.