Style Icon: Audrey Hepburn

The first Audrey Hepburn film I saw as a child was My Fair Lady, but it wasn't until my early teens that my obsession with her truly began. She was an immensely talented actress with impeccable style, but the thing I admire most about her is the fact that she won a legion of fans at a time when Hollywood was obsessed with glamorous peroxide blondes like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. Quirky, minimalistic, and with a boyish figure, she quickly became a muse to the designer Hubert de Givenchy as he was just starting his fashion house. With thick brows, flawless skin and cat eye liner, her look was timeless, so it's no surprise that she is regarded as a style icon to so many.
In Breakfast at Tiffany's, one of her most iconic roles, her most memorable outfit is perhaps the little black dress she is seen in during the opening shot of the film, styled with a chignon, pearls and a breakfast pastry. However her character Holly Golightly wears a number of effortlessly gorgeous costumes throughout the film, from the oversized man's shirt she is seen in bed in, to the roll neck top teamed with black trousers and low pigtails.

Audrey's second most memorable role is arguably as Princess Ann in the 1953 flick Roman Holiday. In this movie, her midi skirt and short sleeved blouse combo was practical enough to cruise around Rome on a scooter in, yet still undeniably chic, with the addition of a quirky neckerchief. A year later she starred in Sabrina as the title character, which was, style-wise, one of my favourite roles that she played. Amongst the many fabulous costumes designed by Edith Head, I adored the wispy micro-fringe, the Givenchy-inspired ball gowns, the pinafore worn over a black shirt and the check shirt paired with hooped earrings.
In another of my favourites, Funny Face, Audrey stars as Jo Stockton, an unassuming book shop assistant scouted by a magazine editor and fashion photographer on the hunt for a beautiful yet intellectual model. My favourite costumes were the ones that Jo wears whilst in Paris, from the chic and gamine combination of black turtleneck, skinny trousers and penny loafers, to the camel coloured rain mac and youthful high ponytail.

Later on she starred with Albert Finney in another French-set movie, Two For The Road. Audrey's style in the film proved yet another sartorial hit, from the red jumper teamed with high-waisted jeans, to the red swimsuit worn with slicked back hair.

Audrey was not just undeniably stylish, but a true inspiration in all aspects of her life, devoting the majority of her later years to work as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. In 1992 she sadly died of cancer aged just 63, but left behind a wonderful legacy, and will always be remembered as the ultimate Hollywood icon.