Audrey Hepburn has her fair share of recognizable film costumes, from her black column dress in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to her Edwardian-inspired “My Fair Lady” frock. Her strapless ballgown in “Sabrina,” however, is just as noteworthy.
Designed by Hubert de Givenchy, the white silk organza and tulle gown features a black ruffle hemline and floral embroidery, as well as a detachable train.
Audrey Hepburn and William Holden in publicity imagery for “Sabrina.”
Bettmann Archive
Hepburn and Givenchy’s relationship began with “Sabrina,” the 1954 romantic comedy directed by Billy Wilder. Hepburn portrays the daughter of a chauffeur, whose clients (played by Humphrey Bogart and William Holden) fall for her.
The actress first met Givenchy during pre-production of “Sabrina” in 1953. The year prior, Givenchy founded his eponymous label, where Alexander McQueen’s successor Sarah Burton currently serves as creative director.
Givenchy would go on to design costumes for Hepburn in countless films, including “Funny Face,” “Charade” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” He was also behind many of her iconic looks off screen: the designer famously upcycled one of Hepburn’s “Roman Holiday” costumes to create her dress at the 1954 Oscars.
Legendary costume designer Edith Head was initially tapped to create Hepburn’s “Sabrina” wardrobe, but Wilder instead sent Hepburn abroad to procure Parisian fashions: her character in the film journeys to France to attend culinary school.
Audrey Hepburn at the 1954 Oscars.
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When Givenchy heard “Miss Hepburn” intended to visit his atelier, he thought he would be meeting Katharine Hepburn. At the time, Audrey was still relatively unknown — “Roman Holiday,” which had yet to be released, was considered her breakthrough film.
While Givenchy had his hands full with his next collection, he ceded Hepburn’s request, lending her three designs from his spring 1953 collection, including a strapless white ballgown with black embroidery. It was the “evening dress” with “yards of skirt,” as Hepburn remarks in the film, that solidifies Sabrina’s transformation from chauffeur’s daughter to society darling.
Notably, Givenchy wasn’t credited in the film. When “Sabrina” won Best Costume Design at the Oscars, Head accepted the award.
Years later, that famous black and white gown nearly ended up in a donation bin. “It really is one of the four or five most famous dresses in cinema history, and we almost missed it,” Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “If we hadn’t opened those trunks, they likely would have just gone to Goodwill.”
Audrey Hepburn’s “Sabrina” gown in 2024.
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Maddalena sorted through Debbie Reynolds’ vast archive — which included one of the original pairs of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” — as part of an auction following the actress’ death in 2016.
It’s unknown how the “Sabrina” dress ended up in her collection.
“There’s just no way that Debbie knew she had this,” Maddalena explained. “She purchased so many things over the years, at one point it was just likely forgotten.”
The dress in Reynolds’ possession was possibly a duplicate. Per Maddalena, it was unfinished on the inside “so a costumer can quickly open and close them if needed on set,” leading him to believe it was a recreation by Head’s team rather than a completed piece of Givenchy couture.
At the 2017 auction, Hepburn’s dress fetched $217,600, nearly doubling its maximum estimate of $120,000. It went on the block again in 2024 by Propstore, where it sold for $125,000.
