Givenchy at Le Jonchet, 1977, photo by Jean-Régis Roustan / via AD
HUBERT DE GIVENCHY left his home in Beauvais, just outside of Paris, at the age of 17 for the opportunities offered in the City of Light. There, he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts and began his career as an apprentice. In 1952, he established his couture house, la Maison Givenchy, and two years later in 1954, became the first couturier to present a luxury ready-to-wear line. He would meet his iconic muse, Audrey Hepburn, in 1953, and the two would remain close friends for over 40 years, until her death in 1993.
Givenchy sold his business to Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey in 1988, and retired in 1995. Today, at 88 years of age, he lives in a country estate — Le Jonchet — a beautiful Renaissance castle from the early XVIIth century. Built by the architect Gabriel de Lestrade, the château was in a state of ruins in the 1950’s, and restored by the architect Fernand Pouillon (1912 – 1986). It was later owned by Roger Bellon, owner of pharmaceutical companies of the same name and is now currently the retirement home of the renown couturier. Click through for a glimpse of his incredible style . . .
***Editor’s Note: This article was first published on 19 February 2016, two years before Givenchy’s death at the age of 91. We are republishing it, with an extensive array of new images, including a glimpse of how the estate looks today. A brief recap of the château’s history: In the early 1970s, Le Jonchet was acquired by the French couturier Count Hubert de Givenchy (a younger son of Lucien Taffin de Givenchy, Marquis of Givenchy), who owned it with his partner Philippe Venet for more than 50 years. When Hubert de Givenchy died in March 2018, Philippe Venet inherited the 17th-century residence and sold it to Hubert’s nephews James and his brother Olivier de Givenchy, shortly before his own death in February 2022.
Top Image: The Art of the Room; feature image via Architectural Digest
