This time, my friends, there’s good reason for my not updating regularly. I’ve been sitting on this as long as I can, but now I must share: I will be in Berlin for the Timeless Audrey exhibit on May 4, Audrey’s birthday! I haven’t found any details yet but I know that something special is happening on what would have been our fair lady’s 80th birthday, so you shall know shortly after I do. I will, of course, be taking loads of pictures where I can (there’s no photos allowed in the exhibit, but I’ll see what I can do in the name of journalistic integrity) and bringing back as much information as possible for everyone that can’t just jump out to Germany at the drop of a hat. (There’s also rumors that the exhibit may be coming back to the US for a mini-tour, but nothing is confirmed.)

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Whew, it’s been hectic around here lately! I think things may settle down around September or October, but until then, be prepared for more sporadic — yet cool — updates. Just a short while ago I received a letter about a new gallery exhibit opening at the end of the month in Los Angeles, and it coincides with a new book on Audrey. Double the goodies!

The book is called Charmed By Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina, and from what I can tell it’s mainly a picture book featuring loads of snaps from photographer Mark Shaw. Have a gander at the cover of the book (left), I know you know his work.

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This past Friday I was lucky enough to finally see My Fair Lady on the big screen. The Academy (you know, the ones who hand out the Oscars) was holding a special 70mm screening of the restored original print, and apparently the 70mm version hasn’t been screened since the film was first released 45 years ago. After seeing it for myself, I have to say it’s downright tragic. The colours were fantastic, especially the flower segments during the opening credits, and I could just see so much more than I ever have before. You could actually read the elocution cards tacked all over Eliza’s bedroom walls, and the more subtle facial expressions were just divine. The mix of emotions that came over Rex Harrison’s face in that final scene was incredible. It actually brought tears to my eyes.

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Great news for all of the Audrey fans around the world who have been asking about the Timeless Audrey exhibit, the traveling display of Audrey Hepburn memorabilia. I got an email this morning from a fellow by the name of Daniel who tells me that the exhibit is currently in Berlin (Germany), and will stay there until May 10th. This is very exciting! After spending more than a year in Japan, where Audrey is still a very huge icon, the flats and displays needed to be refurbished after a lot of moving and general wear and tear, and no one at the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund was sure when the exhibit would be ready to travel again. Now we know.

Anyway, all proceeds from visitors to Timeless Audrey will directly benefit UNICEF’s All Children In School, a project we know was very close to Audrey’s heart. I’m putting up a copy of the flyer (in English, so I don’t need to translate for you) below, and Daniel has also asked that I put up a link to a website put up expressly for Timeless Audrey’s time in Germany, which I’m more than happy to do. The site can be found here. It’s all in German, though, so brush up on your Deutsche before heading in.

That’s the only information I have about the exhibit at this time, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out and see if I can’t find out if it will be making other European stops. It’d be silly not to, right? And maybe someday it’ll come back to the States and do a more extensive tour for us Americans that can’t afford a trip right now. *sigh* Soon. The bad never lasts forever, even though it may feel like it, right?

Okay, that’s all for now. If you haven’t been around to visit lately, then you probably don’t know that the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund website got quite a major overhaul and now matches the Audrey Bag site. Go look!

Hello all, and many thanks for your enduring patience with me. To make a long life story short, I decided at the last minute to drive 500 miles south and spend the holiday with my family, since I hadn’t had a holiday with them in 3 years for one reason or another. My mum’s accident made me realize that our time with each other is limited, and I need to make the most of it. My baby nephew also turned one year old and his favourite aunt had to be onhand for that momentous occasion, of course. I also managed to write a novel for NaNoWriMo, but that’s a different story, get it?

Long story short, I’m back and we have a lot of catching up to do! Here’s a short list of things that have been going on in the world of Audrey Hepburn lately:

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I must say, UK Audrey fans are pretty lucky right now. There’s the Golden Age of Couture show currently running at the Victoria & Albert Museum, which has on display the distinctive blue cape Audrey Hepburn wore as Jo Stockton in Funny Face, and now there’s a new, one day only display of Funny Face costumes in Buckingham. Buckingham’s Film Place will have various costumes (no word on which ones) from the stylish film on display for November 2nd only, so you might want to pen that in now! The proceeds from this event and many others that are taking place that week are to benefit local schools, so it will be for a good cause as well as being beautiful and entertaining. You can read more about all of the exhibits that will be on display here, along with contact information for tickets.

Just a quick reminder to Audrey’s UK fans that “The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957″ is now open at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. I first mentioned this exhibit back in March when I first heard about it,* but since then the Museum has put up a special website dedicated to the exhibit. It’s really nice because it has a fraction of the collection up for viewing, and a Givenchy couture gown is one of the featured, a beautiful one at that. From the site you can send e-cards with preselected pictures of couture items, and book tickets if you’re available to go. The coolest part of all is that you can download and print out a pattern for a couture-inspired dress, which you can then make at home! If you’re really into shoes, there is also a competition to send in your original shoe designs for a chance to have your design shown on the V&A website. Intrigued? Click here to see more.

*Reminder: the blue cape Audrey wore in Funny Face is on display at this exhibit.

From now until October 28th, The Women’s Museum in Dallas, Texas will have an Audrey Hepburn dress on display, along with other celebrity gowns, in an exhibit called Star-Struck: Hollwood Costumes & Designers, 1932-2006. Sadly, I couldn’t find out which dress is going to be on display, but if any of you will be in the Dallas area within the next month, you could stop by the exhibit at the State Fair and take some pictures for the rest of us. The museum will be showing a large collection of dresses along with about 50 costume sketches, many of them nominated for (if not winning) awards. You can find out a little more about the exhibit, including times and admission prices, here.

Audrey Hepburn may have worn many little black dresses in her life, but that’s sort of what she’s known for, isn’t it? Her little black dress with the sequined fringe that she wore in Charade (which was recently auctioned off, coincidentally) is now on display in Harrod’s department store as part of their Harrod’s Timeless Luxury promotion. It will be on the fourth floor at the Georgian Restaurant in the Little Black Dress Exhibition, along with other famous LBDs. You should hurry, since it looks like the display will only be up through mid-October. You can read more about it here.

I have only found one news source as of yet, but it looks as if the winner of the hot pink cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn during filming of Breakfast at Tiffany’s has indeed been identified, despite their request to remain anonymous. According to RTÉ.ie, the new owner of the size zero dress is Newbridge Silverware. The company purchased the dress to display in their new style museum which opens tomorrow in County Kildare.

I’m not doubting the validity of this story per se, and it would be really fantastic to have someone purchase an iconic dress that Audrey actually wore and display it for everyone to see, but I’m just a little wary because no one else is reporting this — yet, anyway. Has anyone else heard anything about this?