A person:

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is as much a style icon as she is a cinematic legend. With her radiant glow, effortless sophistication, and a charming innocence that captivated audiences, she defined an era of timeless grace.

She collaborated with some of the most celebrated directors of her time, starring in unforgettable classics: Roman Holiday with William Wyler, Sabrina and Love in the Afternoon with Billy Wilder, Funny Face and Charade with Stanley Donen, Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Blake Edwards and War and Peace with King Vidor. Hepburn didn’t just star in romantic comedies—she redefined them by adding an unbeatable element: humour, infusing each role with wit, warmth, and a unique sparkle.

Beyond her film career and iconic style, Audrey was revered for her pure, authentic and deeply compassionate heart. Her loving words and actions continue to inspire generations.

Later in life, she dedicated herself to humanitarian work, becoming a UNICEF ambassador from 1988 to 1992. She tirelessly advocated for children in some of the world’s most impoverished communities across Africa, South America, and Asia. In 1992, her extraordinary efforts were honored with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Audrey Hepburn’s legacy transcends film and fashion—she remains a symbol of elegance, generosity, and enduring inspiration.

Early life:

Audrey Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on the 4th of May 1929 in Brussels to an aristocratic family. Although born in Belgium, she had British citizenship through her father and attended school in a posh private school in Kent, England.

Her childhood which had started in the best conditions was gradually tainted with darkness. At just six years old, she faced the heartbreak of her father’s abandonment closely followed by the horrors of World War II. Believing Holland to be a safer place, her mother sent her there, only for the country to fall under Nazi occupation.

Hunger, fear, and loss became her reality. Like countless other children of war, Audrey endured malnutrition, fear, and deep psychological scars. Yet, even in the bleakest times, she held onto her passion.

While struggling to survive, she continued her studies and ballet training at the Arnhem Conservatory. By 1944, she was using her talent to aid the Dutch Resistance, performing secret ballet recitals to raise funds for the cause. Even in darkness, she found a way to bring light…

After the war, she continued to study ballet in Amsterdam and in London. During her early 20s, she studied acting and worked as a model and dancer.

A quote:

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years."

Audrey Hepburn

A movie: “Roman Holiday”

I chose Roman Holiday because it was Audrey Hepburn’s breakthrough—her first major American film, first lead role and the film that made her an overnight star and icon. Her performance was so captivating that it earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, a rare win at the time, as Oscars were typically awarded for the strength of the role rather than the actor’s more innate force of personality and expression.

According to The Guardian “Rare are the films that this effectively construct a movie star from virtual scratch, setting an image and persona to last an entire career: Roman Holiday is one.”

A fascinating anecdote about Roman Holiday is that it was originally planned for actresses Elisabeth Taylor or Jean Simmons, however scheduling issues with the two huge stars’ heavy plannings influenced director William Wyler to search for a fresh face.

Hepburn was a relatively unknown actress at the time but while she was auditioning, Wyler saw something special in her and kept the camera rolling after the scene had ended, capturing her natural charm and personality. This unscripted moment sealed the decision to cast her as Princess Ann.

Roman Holiday is a timeless romance about love, freedom, and fleeting moments. The film follows Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn), a young royal longing to break free from the weight of her title. One night in Rome, she escapes her palace and meets Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), a charming but struggling journalist.

At first, Joe sees her as the perfect news story, but as they wander through the streets of Rome with a pure sense of freedom and spontaneity discovering the beauty and fun of the city—riding a Vespa, sharing an ice cream, dancing by the river—he gradually begins to feel a much deeper connection with her. For Ann, it’s a taste of a life she’s never known and a love she will never be able to live fully as they both know she will have to eventually return to her royal duties.

A Place : Paris

Although Audrey Hepburn never actually lived in Paris, for most of the world she was the very personification of Parisian chic. She had a deep connection with the city of love, both in her personal life and through several of her films which captured the beauty and romance of the city. In total, she starred in four films set in Paris in a span of 10 years: Sabrina in 1954, Funny Face in 1957, Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961 and Paris When It Sizzles in 1964.

Hepburn's love for Paris went beyond the silver screen. She lived in the city during some of her early years as a ballet student and later returned frequently, both for work and pleasure. Paris became a symbol of sophistication and beauty in her life. She was often seen in Parisian cafés, enjoying the city’s calm elegance, and she would later speak about how much it had inspired her, especially her collaborations with the designer Hubert de Givenchy.

Fashion Staples:

We can’t talk about Hepburn’s style without referring to Hubert de Givenchy who designed the most magnificent dresses and outfits for her on and off screen even designing her wedding dresses for her two marriages in 1954 and 1969.

Audrey said in an interview :

“It was Hubert de Givenchy who gave me a look, a style, a silhouette. Dressed by him, I'm afraid of nothing."

For 40 years, the actress and designer shared a close friendship that forever left its mark on both fashion and cinema. Yet, the two could have never met…

Their relationship began on a misunderstanding. It was 1954 and Audrey Hepburn was in the middle of filming Sabrina. Little known in France, the young actress nevertheless wanted to meet Hubert de Givenchy, whom the team and herself thought would be perfect to design her outfits for the film. The couturier had opened his fashion house two years earlier and had quickly benefited of a very good reputation. It was a mutual friend who put Hepburn and Givenchy in touch, however at the time, the latter was expecting to meet the very famous American actress Katharine Hepburn and not Audrey Hepburn, mistaken by their common surname. When Audrey arrived at the Givenchy workshop, the couturier, in the middle of preparing his next collection, flatly refused to dress the young woman. It took Audrey Hepburn's persistence and a dinner invitation for Hubert de Givenchy to change his mind and the rest is history.

Their collaboration started with a powerful statement glamorous ball gown with delicate embroidered floral shaped sequins and layers of mesh, followed by a Little Black Dress later on in the movie (premonitorily preparing for her iconic black dress worn with a long pearl necklace in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s).

Audrey declared “Fashion entered my life when I had my first dress custom-made for me by Hubert de Givenchy, it was extraordinarily beautiful.”

The epitome of elegance

Audrey Hepburn, partly from her early ballet training and education, had a certain poise and way of holding herself straight, taking light footsteps and of speaking in a polite and articulate manner combined with the kindness and softness of her heart which made her look gracious and graceful in every situation. She had that “je ne sais quoi”, a charisma and natural elegance which made her look beautiful in the simplest outfits proving her inherent beauty sufficed to itself and she didn’t need any superficial artefacts.

Capri pants, ballerines, turtle necks, very fitted at the waist midi skirts and white shirts were her staple wardrobe items. Usually wearing monochrome colours without any prints, when she wore patterns she favoured stripes and gingham or polka dots on rare occasions.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Audrey Hepburn’s life, movies and style.

I’ll also be creating complimentary video(s) where I talk more about her on my social media. If you’d like to check them out on Instagram, click here.

Feel free to answer this email with the fashion or cinema icon you’d like to read the next newsletter about !

Have a beautiful week,

Jamila xx