If you were asked to choose the most iconic dress of the 20th century， you would say it had to be the Little Black Dress （the LBD） worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys.

如果要你选出二十世纪最具标志性的女装的话，你很可能会说，那必须是奥黛丽·赫本在《蒂凡尼的早餐》中所穿的那件小黑裙。

Even today， this sleeveless gown by Hubert de Givenchy looks as radically chic as it did 57 years ago.

即使是在今天，这件由于贝尔·德·纪梵希于57年前设计的无袖长裙看上去依然非常时髦。

Givenchys strength was his simplicity. Where other designers aimed for shock value， Givenchy honoured understated elegance and refined femininity.

纪梵希的优势在于他设计的朴素。在其他设计师以冲击效果为设计目标时，纪梵希却推崇低调的优雅和精致的女性气质。

But he was more than just the LBD. Take any other of his designs today， and they still look strikingly fresh.

但他的著名设计可不只有小黑裙。把他的其他所有设计拿到今天来看，它们看上去也依然新颖得出奇。

His chic， understated frocks were synonymous with a golden age of fashion—adored not just by whippet-thin movie stars but ordinary women everywhere on account of their no-fuss glamour.

由他设计的时髦又低调的女装是时尚黄金时代的代名词——他的设计不仅受到那些身材纤细小巧的电影明星的喜爱，而且因其朴素的魅力也受到各地普通女性们的欢迎。

Little wonder， then， that celebrities， fashion aficionados and stylish women over the world are in mourning for the French designer who died this year in 2018 at the age of 91.

难怪世界各地的名人、时尚爱好者和时髦女性都在为这位法国设计师的逝世而哀悼，他于2018年去世，享年91岁。

It was in 1953 that Givenchy met the relatively unknown Hepburn， agreeing to the introduction because he thought she was the long-established Hollywood star Katharine Hepburn.

就在1953年，紀梵希遇到了当时还不太有名的赫本，他以为她是久负盛名的好莱坞明星凯瑟琳·赫本，所以同意了那次引见。

Audrey had requested the meeting to discuss the possibility of wearing his dresses in Sabrina. Givenchys costume designs for that film won an Oscar and afterwards she repeatedly requested his dresses.

当时奥黛丽请求会面来探讨她是否可以在《龙凤配》中穿上他设计的礼服。纪梵希为那部电影设计的戏服获得了奥斯卡奖，之后，奥黛丽·赫本便多次请他设计礼服。

Hepburn also became Givenchys muse and his creations featured in seven of her films， from the white embroidered frock she wore in 1954s Sabrina to the scarlet strapless gown in 1957s Funny Face.

赫本也成为纪梵希的缪斯女神，从她1954年在《龙凤配》中所穿的那条白色绣花连衣裙到她1957年在《甜姐儿》中所穿的那条红色抹胸长裙，她在七部电影中都穿了纪梵希设计的礼服。

Givenchy said their close relationship was tantamount to “a kind of marriage” and Hepburn described the designer as “my beautiful Hubert”.

纪梵希说他们之间的亲密关系无异于“一种婚姻”，而赫本则把这位设计师称为“我出色的于贝尔”。

But Givenchys celebrity seal of approval didnt end there. He dressed the worlds most glamorous aristocrats， actresses and politicians wives.

不过名人对纪梵希的认可并未止于此。世界上最有魅力的贵族、女演员，还有政客们的妻子都穿过他设计的礼服。

Givenchy himself summed up his career，“To have lived your dream is very rare in life. I have been so fortunate.”

纪梵希对自己职业生涯的总结是：“能在一生中实现自己的梦想是很难得的。我是那么的幸运。”

Word Study

chic /?i?k/ adj. 时髦的，优雅的，雅致的

Everyone admired her elegance and her beauty

elegance /'el?ɡ?ns/ n. 高雅；（举止、服饰、风格等的）优雅

femininity /?fem?'n?n?ti/ n. 女性气质；女气；阴柔

synonymous / s?'n?n?m?s/ adj. 同义的

tantamount /'t?nt?ma?nt/ adj. 无异于；等于；效果与……一样坏

glamorous /'ɡl?m?r?s/ adj. 特别富有魅力的；富于刺激的；独特的