You’ve waited long enough, now here it is: I will be giving away three (3) copies of the gorgeous children’s picture book Just Being Audrey. Highly acclaimed and already deeply loved, this book is short and sweet and beautifully written. Designed for children but accessible to all, the book gives a lovely summary of Audrey’s life, from la petite ballerina in Holland to the trendsetting Hollywood icon to the UNICEF ambassador, all illustrated with divine full color (and often full page) drawings.

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The recent exhibit on Italian designer Fernanda Gattinoni had its last day in Paris yesterday, but if you couldn’t make the exhibit, no worries. Lovely reader Castor was kind enough to visit and take loads of pictures, which she said I could share with all of you. She was also kind enough to translate the text pertaining to Audrey, which I will copy and paste for you. So, without further ado, Castor’s pictures for everyone to enjoy:

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Yet another costume exhibit! This one is set in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, next to the Eiffel Tower but distinctly Italian in feel. It’s a showcase of Italian designer Fernanda Gattinoni’s designs from the 1950s and 60s, and while it mainly focuses on her evening gowns for Italian starlets worn at film premieres and other galas, there is a separate section dedicated just to her designs for War and Peace, which Audrey Hepburn wore. While the film may be more than a big long, I do love watching it just to see how stunning Audrey looks, especially in that airy white ballgown with the Empire waist (left).

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Many years ago, I visited the offices of The Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund and saw a beautiful video about Audrey’s work with UNICEF. It was introduced by Gregory Peck and I remember he read one of Audrey’s favourite poems by Rabindranath Tagore. It’s been a long time and I haven’t ever been able to find a copy of the video, but luckily a film company found me.

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I’m busy working on improving the website for you, but while searching for a lost picture, I stumbled across this sweet blog. It’s very nice overall, but here’s one thing I missed completely: an Audrey exhibit in Paris last year! To coincide with the auction of still more costumes and personal wardrobe, an exhibit was set up at the end of last year in Paris, and the author of Parisian Party of course went. And took very gorgeous pictures, and knows her stuff. I don’t want to swipe any of her pictures, so you’ll just have to visit her site for yourself. Link directly to the Audrey exhibit here.

Speaking of things I’ve missed, when the most famous dress in the world, the long black Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress, was auctioned in 2006 it was widely publicised when someone wore it.

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There’s a lot of nice little stories floating about, so I’m going to gather them all together for you:

- Our Dutch friend Joop says that dear Audrey was recently voted the most beautiful woman ever, which is quite an achievement! Lovely picture and short story (in Dutch) here.

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Oh, what I love more than anything: a new book on Audrey! Well, a new book on the production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to be precise, but you absolutely cannot talk about Tiffany’s without talking about Audrey Hepburn. It’s physically impossible, try it.

Anyway, the book is called Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, and delves into everything from filming to the adaptation from wandering novella to sparkling screenplay, to Audrey’s impact on fashion and the formation of the modern woman. It looks to be a great read

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At the age of 83, Hubert de Givenchy is still very active in the world of fashion. Though he may have sold his couture house to LVMH, he is still only truly at home when he is designing, talking about design – or curating an extraordinary collection of gowns in a French chateau.

Running now through August 17, if you are around the Lorraine region of France, feel free to drop by Château de Haroué, a modest 82 room bungalow (chateau actually means castle in French, and the French do not use that term lightly!). It is there that you will find a carefully chosen bevy of gowns designed by Paris’s most renowned designers: Balenciaga, Venet, and Givenchy himself. The surroundings are astounding, the gowns are divine, and as an added bonus, the long black column dress Audrey Hepburn wore in the beginning credits of Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Givenchy’s own copy, and one of the three originals – will be on display for your pleasure.

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