Hubert de Givenchy was born into a wealthy family from Beauvais, France, in 1927. His first job in the fashion industry was working for Jacques Fath in Paris in 1945. He then worked briefly for Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelon (alongside some of Lelon's most famous assistants, Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior), and finally for Elsa Schiaparelli (1947-1951). In 1952, Givenchy opened his own atelier. He named his first collection for Bettina Graziani, Paris's top model. Balenciaga (whose atelier was just across the avenue George V) was his mentor, although Givenchy never worked for him.
     Beginning in 1953, Givenchy gained a wide appeal with his artful designs, masterfully cut out of beautiful fabrics. Two American women most represent the ideal Givenchy style of the 1950s and 1960s:  Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy. Givenchy bade farewell to the fashion world on July 11, 1995, with his last haute couture show. The House of Givenchy is currently lead by the designer Alexander McQueen.

(Seeling, C.  2000. Fashion: The century of the designer 1900-1999.  Könemann.)