The Little Black Dress -- Fashion Design's Powerhouse
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by Kristin Marino
Fashion School Review Columnist

August 30, 2006

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While it's difficult to determine exactly when the little black dress was born, a look at the first scene in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's might yield a clue. It's the scene where Holly Golightly, played by Audrey Hepburn, wears an exquisite black gown as she peeks in the display window of Tiffany's. That scene, and that dress, could make a fashion design fanatic forget about any other little black dress.

Who can forget the scene where Miss Golightly brings her breakfast in a paper sack to Tiffany's to peer in the window while she dines? The dress she wore, along with the long black gloves, tiara, and long thin cigarette holder, is one of the most iconic fashion moments in the history of fashion design. The dress was designed by fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy and continues to inspire legions of clothing designers. Most recently the head clothing designer at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci, recreated the gown for Givenchy's 2006 autumn line.

And to anyone who says that fashion is trivial or unimportant, consider the following: The original dress worn by Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's will be up for auction on December 5, 2006 at Christie's auction house. The dress is expected to fetch up to $130,000. The proceeds will benefit City of Joy Aid, a charity that provides aid to India's poorest children.

Those of us who love fashion have always known it's much more than just the clothing on our backs.

About the Author
Kristin Marino is obsessed with haute couture, even though she lives in Reno, Nevada, where you can't even get Gucci or Louis Vuitton, let alone Jimmy Choo. She has a Bachelor of Art in English Composition from the University of Nevada.

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