“I am an introvert…I
love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking long walks with my dogs
and looking at the trees, the flowers, the sky”
Widely considered the most beautiful woman in the world Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of elegance and style. The 1960s cemented her as a talented actress and fashion icon, her classic style at its most famous in the 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Audrey Kathleen Ruston-Hepburn was born in Belgium in 1929. Her early life was tumultuous, her parents separated when she was six years old and she spent her formative years under Nazi rule in Arnhem, Holland. Following the end of the War Audrey and her mother moved to England where Audrey pursued a career in ballet. Told she was too tall to ever make it professionally Audrey began acting instead. She won an Oscar for her first starring role, Roman Holiday, and the 1950s were filled with classic roles including, Sabrina, Funny Face, and The Nuns Story. The 1960s began with great personal happiness for Audrey with the birth of her son, Sean. It also gave her her most popular and famous role that of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, for which she was nominated for an academy award. During the 1960s Audrey took on a greater variety of roles including that of teacher, flower seller, and a blind woman in films such as The Children's Hour, Charade, How to Steal a Million, Two for the Road and Wait Until Dark. Two for the Road proved to be one of her most challenging and rewarding roles. In it she played Joanna Wallace over a period of twelve years, the film was innovative for it's use of flashbacks and was risqué for a storyline that included adultry. She also starred in the classic musical My Fair Lady. Throughout the 1960s Audrey was considered a style icon, her fashion changing from the classic Jackie O to the mod looks she sported in Two for the Road.
With the end of the 1960s Audrey took a break from acting and devoted her life to caring for her two sons Sean and Luca and living with her second husband in Rome. Audrey took on few film roles during the 70s and 80s, but the remainder of her life was devoted to helping underprivileged children for UNICEF. Audrey was a passionate humanitarian and remained beloved throughout the world until her death in 1993.
Audrey remains one of the most popular actresses from the classic era. She was voted as the third greatest actress of all time by the American Film Institute. She is as renowned for her film roles as for her innate sense of style and her beautiful clothes designed by her good friend, fashion designer Hubert Givenchy. Her 1960s style remains an influence on fashion houses to this day.
Audrey's style during the 1960s encompassed little black dresses, ballet flats, classic coats, skirt suits and large sunglasses. She presented a new alternative for women during the 1950s when a full, hourglass figure was considered to be the ultimate in feminine beauty. Audrey paved the way for the boyish shaped models to come including, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy.
Audrey's dedication to her work and her compassion towards others saw her become a favourite throughout the world. The indelible image of Audrey during this decade is of her walking past Tiffany's in New York with a coffee cup and pastry. But Audrey's beauty was not just on the outside, she was a kind and loving woman who's greatest role was as a mother and a humanitarian. She was a woman of poise who wore many hats throughout her lifetime and it is for all these reasons and more that we continue to love and admire her.
“I love people who
make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures
a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person”
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