Monsieur Hubert de Givenchy

Karim Zeriahem co-produced, wrote, and directed this 51-minute French-language documentary on fashion-design icon Hubert de Givenchy, although a large portion of the film is made up of archival footage (both in black & white and color) displaying Givenchy's trend-settings looks of the 1950s. Zeriahem sits down with the Master for some intimate chit-chat, wherein Givenchy reveals his subtle disdain for the lack of style and/or elegance in today's fashions. Raised by his widowed mother, Givenchy, an extremely tall child with an aristocratic background, was uninterested in the "violent sports" his brother played, instead turning his talents to design (which was considered eccentric in 1930s France); with help from friends and benefactors, he became the foremost creator of haute couture for the elite, yet also designed simple, tasteful, witty outfits for everyday wear. This relatively bare-bones special doesn't reveal much more--and the expected eye-candy is a bit on the rote side--though we do get to see Givenchy as is he today: an elegant, unaffected, unassuming older man who seems a bit out-of-place in the 21st century. Not a showcase for star-watchers (despite the trailers for Audrey Hepburn's early movies), but interesting nevertheless on a minor level.