Peggy Sagers: Today on "Fit 2 Stitch," we talk Givenchy.

Givenchy's relationship with Audrey Hepburn is legendary.

He designed many of her most iconic looks, including the little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Audrey Hepburn was quoted as saying of the relationship: "Givenchy's clothes are the only ones I feel myself in.

He is more than a designer; he is a creator of personality."

It's as good of a description of a role that clothes can play in building an image as I have ever heard.

Today on "Fit 2 Stitch," Givenchy.

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♪♪♪ Peggy: From the University of North Texas, I am really thrilled to bring on Annette.

She is the curator of a museum at University of North Texas, Texas Fashion Collection, spanning almost 20,000 pieces and a value of $80 million.

And you know every bit of that stuff in that collection, I'm sure of it.

Annette Becker: I try my best.

Peggy: Oh my goodness.

But today we talk Givenchy, and just the beauty of it, and there's just so many benefits.

Where do we start, even?

Annette: You know, Givenchy is a really special person, and remembering that, even though today we think of Givenchy as a luxury brand, that it all started with Hubert de Givenchy, a designer who grew up in France and really developed himself through a system of haute couture in Paris.

Peggy: And I think that's interesting because I always wonder what made them go the direction they went.

I think I really find fascination with the individual who really grew to that significant level.

Did they want that from the time they were a child?

Did they somehow just evolve to that point?

But it's just amazing to see his legacy.

Annette: It's really special thinking about Givenchy as a person in that way, developing himself through the system of haute couture.

He was really lucky to be mentored by a lot of very famous designers that we know and love today.

Lucien Lelong, Elsa Schiaparelli-- he was even close friends with Cristóbal Balenciaga.

And if people are less familiar with his name, they might have heard of Christian Dior, who called Balenciaga "The Master of us all."

So if Dior was humbled by this man, clearly he's a big deal.

And Givenchy was his protege.

Peggy: Wow, that's amazing.

It's so important to know that history.

I think it's really important, because as we look at those details, we recognize that those details have meaning and they came from somewhere and they should be preserved.

Annette: Absolutely.

Peggy: Can we look at clothes?

Annette: Yes, we must.

Peggy: Because that's probably a really exciting part of all of this-- seeing the clothes.

And especially, I look at something like this, it's so timeless.

Annette: It really is, and that's something Givenchy was known for.

So while some designers are known for really elaborate, almost theatrical designs, Givenchy was obsessed with perfection in tailoring and really focusing on the line of a garment.

So rather than distracting us with a lot of fussy embroideries, we can see here that he's really paying attention to tailoring, respecting the textile that he's using, and basing his design off that textile and its proportions.

Peggy: Well, you really can.

So, clearly in this example, the fabric would have come first.

Annette: Absolutely, Givenchy was really known for working with the most luxurious fabrics possible.

And today when I work with a lot of sewers and creators, sometimes they get really inspired by textiles that they find going fabric shopping.

So if that's your perspective, Givenchy is definitely the person to look to.

Peggy: And I think even if it's not your perspective, it needs to start to become your perspective, because I do find as I look at a lot of the historical parts of these great collections, the fabric is respected, a lot of what you said.

And we don't necessarily think that when we look at it, but as you dive into it a little bit, you can clearly tell that this was respected.

This plaid is just perfect on the edge of that lapel.

So lapels, a lot of times, are not straight.

They're curved, so that had to be made straight for that to align so perfectly with that.

Annette: Exactly, when Givenchy was working with his pattern makers in his workshop, he was really thinking through what is the style he wanted to create and then making sure that the textile worked with that.

So like you said, as we're looking at this notch collar, you can see that that white line is perfectly aligned, almost like if someone was drawing a fashion illustration, that's the contour line to draw the edge of the garment.

It's really a way that you can elevate your designs using the same materials: just being really thoughtful about how you cut your pattern pieces.

Peggy: Well, even as it turns, like, how would he have done that?

He would have had to do it on the facing as well as the lining because they're two separate pieces.

Annette: Exactly, exactly.

Peggy: No one's excited about that except for me.

Annette: Exactly, and you know, I think that's something really special about haute couture because these pieces were custom made for individual people.

And those people were investing a lot of time and money in these garments being created.

No expense was spared for that artistic vision.

And that's something that I think a lot of home sewers and creators can often match because they're putting their own time and passion into creating garments.

So it's lovely thinking home sewers can sometimes work on the same level as these couturiers making really elevated garments.

Peggy: So can we jump into that personality that's behind this?

Like, it was made for a person before it was donated to you all.

So do you know much about that person?

Annette: Yeah, what's really special about haute couture is that, by definition, these pieces have to be custom made for an individual person's body.

So it's not the ready-to-wear prêt-à-porter system, but haute couture.

This piece was commissioned by Claudia Heard de Osborne, who was born to a lower-middle-class family in southern Texas.

They struck oil, and she was immediately launched into the international jet set and had essentially all of her garments custom made, first by Balenciaga, but then when he retired in 1968, her, you know, consolation prize was going to Givenchy, who created this for her in 1969.

Peggy: Wow, that's an amazing story.

So this was not a family of wealth, that she was taught this, but she somehow knew that something over there was better than what she had.

Annette: Absolutely, the storytelling and myth-making around couture in Paris is legendary.

When we think of high fashion, we often think of Paris because of these really exclusive elite designers working in the system where there are very well-trained tailors and embroiderers who can see their visions through.

And especially for someone who might not have come from resources, she could trust what these couturiers were making because they know to align their textiles so beautifully with their patterns.

Peggy: So she relied on them, she trusted them to make her look her very best.

Annette: Absolutely.

Peggy: That makes a lot of sense.

Annette: Everyone from Audrey Hepburn to someone from lower-middle-class family in southern Texas, a couturier can see that vision for anyone.

Peggy: As long as they have the money.

Annette: So true.

Peggy: And they can't really price it out before they start.

I mean, you can't really walk in and say, "Gee, what's this gonna cost me?"

What does that typically cost?

Just, if I got-- struck oil tomorrow and decided to go to Paris and have something like this done, what would I even anticipate would be the cost?

Annette: That's a great question.

So on the most simple end of garments, they start in about a $10,000 range and can go up to over $100,000 depending on the textiles that are used, the number of hours it takes to pleat fabric.

We might think about how many fittings these pieces take because they aren't a preset size.

So when you commission a work of haute couture, you're not paying a sticker price, you're paying for the labor and the materials that go into creating essentially a work of art.

Peggy: You know, that's interesting because that would be hard for me.

It's not even really about money.

It's just about not knowing and ending up starting at this number.

That's hard.

And it's a different personality, I think, that can do that.

Annette: There's a lot of trust and faith, and that's why having someone like Givenchy, who had such an elevated reputation, was important because if you were investing your resources and your time going in for all these fittings, you wanted to make sure you were going to get something that was perfect for you and your lifestyle.

Peggy: And the trust factor had to be off the charts.

Annette: Absolutely.

Peggy: When I look at the plaid and I look and go across, those lines are just incredible.

It's such a joy to look at.

Those lines just meet perfectly and you don't really even think that it's a plaid until you really start to look at it because it's all just beautifully laid out.

And then he took it into pleats.

Annette: Exactly, so we can see through the entire jacket how that plaid is used.

And then for the skirt, you can see that there's a yoke at the top and then these pleats are added as a second panel.

And you can see that the dimension of the pleats is exactly along that plaid.

So this is really a case of if this were made with a different proportion of plaid, the pleats would probably be wider or narrower because the graphic quality of this textile is what's driving Givenchy's design.

Peggy: And then did the blouse come with it?

Because I mean, it's just a perfect combination.

So when they donated, they donated the whole and complete outfit?

Annette: Correct, and that's something that's really special about many people who commission haute couture is they see themselves as patrons to the fashion arts in many ways and see these materials as much as their wardrobe as examples of art from these couturiers.

So the donor who gifted us this likely only wore these pieces together, even though Givenchy was known for creating things that could be worn as separates.

This is really the designer's vision, and she respected that.

Peggy: I can see that.

Although I would take--drop the skirt and add some jeans.

That might kind of make it fun.

But I do want to just notice this button placement, because I notice on double-breasted, a lot of times on double-breasted, it's the same, it's the same, it's the same, and then it goes wider, and this does, but it's so slight, but it just really moves your eye up and just ever so slightly out to the width of the lapels.

I mean, you do, you talk about art, and the details in this are just really stunning.

Annette: And I think that's something really special about a lot of these pieces out of tailoring traditions is that if you slow down and look at those details, you know not a single decision was made haphazardly.

Peggy: That's a great point.

That's a great point.

And yet as I look at the bottom, the bottom is actually not exactly straight, because it can't be.

What we know about a muslin or a jacket or whatever you want to call it, the body isn't straight.

So you actually can't make this stuff straight, but I think, a lot of times, when we as sewers are trying to make this stuff, we say, "Okay, well, what's wrong with us that I can't make it straight across the bottom?"

And there's nothing wrong with you.

If he couldn't do it, then you have permission not to do it either.

Annette: It's so true.

And I think it's all about being strategic in where you do align things.

So when we've looked at this piece together, we've noticed that it has a two-piece sleeve.

And you'll notice on the inside here that the plaid was aligned where it was more visible.

And then you can see that it had to have misalignment in some places.

Peggy: I love that you showed that.

Annette: Yes, so having that as a-- Peggy: 'Cause there's a dart built into there.

Annette: Exactly, exactly.

Like, our sleeves are not perfect tubes of fabric.

They have to really follow our bodies.

So, you know, this is where something that is the messiness of being a human, it's there, but it's there discreetly.

Peggy: It's very subtle.

Oh, I love that.

You know, we find acceptance in ourselves, I think, on some level as we're creating or trying to create these beautiful garments.

I know we have more.

Annette: Yes, let's go look at the next one.

Peggy: Yes, show me.

Annette: This is another very special piece that Claudia Heard de Osborne commissioned.

And I think this is a lovely example of what it means to work with a plaid, but to turn it on the bias and to appreciate how dynamic that makes this design.

Peggy: Complex.

It really takes it up a notch too.

So same woman--so, ready to spend more money on something else.

Annette: Yes.

Peggy: That's incredible.

I just so wonder about that person.

How do they spend that much on this particular, and then how do they give it away?

You know, just, it had to have a lot of meaning to it, and yet it went away.

So the bias really presents other issues.

We had an episode earlier on bias, and it's complex, but I noticed this is almost like a felted wool, and so its bias is going to be a little more structured.

Annette: It's so true.

Yeah, with this really heavy textile which is appropriate for a winter coat, the fabric isn't quite as slippery, it isn't quite as movable.

Because when you're working with wool that's felted, there are essentially little hooks on the wool fibers, and they interlock themselves when you felt.

So that means the woven structure of the fabric just can't move around as much.

We can tell this is still on the bias, though, even though the texture is quite dense because of all these beautiful novelty yarns, which have been felted and stitched to the surface of the textile.

You can just imagine Givenchy seeing this textile and being inspired to create something with it.

Peggy: It's really-- it's so interesting, as I look at it because it's not ever something-- it's a raglan.

I don't think I've ever put a raglan with a bias.

Annette: Yeah, we often think of raglan as, you know, the sleeves for a t-shirt for a baseball team, not something used in really elevated evening jackets created by couturiers in Paris, but we could really appreciate how the line in the bias follows those raglan pattern pieces.

So, Givenchy is really maintaining the integrity of those diagonal lines, which makes this piece really dynamic and really energetic.

Peggy: It's incredible, it really is.

And then, of course, the collar is part of it and becomes a focal point, really, as you, in all-- it's so moving.

I guess it's--your eye just moves, it continues to move, whereas with a plaid that's straight, you have a tendency-- the buttons do the moving with your eye, whereas this one, it just moves everywhere.

Like, your eye just keeps going.

It's so incredible.

To have this come across and match like that?

It would have to be hand-done.

You know, it wouldn't have happened any other way.

Annette: It's so true.

I think it is really special.

From a distance, you almost think the front of this coat is cut as one piece because that plaid aligns so beautifully.

And it's really in getting up close that we can appreciate all of the texture here and appreciate the way that these things do align.

Peggy: Now, not that we're going to look inside, but would this be fully lined?

Annette: Yes, all couture pieces are fully lined, which especially for some of our researchers at our archive is profoundly annoying because makers love to see how things have been put together.

So we don't have a lot of-- Peggy: Yes, I'm constantly taking apart lining.

Sorry, go ahead.

Go ahead.

Annette: It can be really hard for our researchers because they often want to see where facing and interfacing is placed, where there might be stitching to really help secure, you know, a rolled collar.

So a lining can be really frustrating from a research standpoint, but from a wearability standpoint, what could be more elevated?

Peggy: Sure, so, generally, in these haute couture, is there rules on linings, and do they have to be fully lined, do you know?

Annette: To my knowledge, there aren't rules and regulations around that.

Most of the rules are around the pieces needing to be made by a very specific designer, so you have to be selected to be part of the world of haute couture to use that label.

Peggy: I know, the fashion FH something, whatever, yeah, in France, okay.

Annette: Yeah, haute couture is regulated in the same way that the word "Champagne" is, so not all white wine made in France is Champagne, not all fashion made in France is couture.

It's this very narrow designation to really celebrate the cultural heritage and the craftsmanship that goes into creating these pieces.

Peggy: And that was really the goal.

It wasn't to be exclusive or to be snotty.

It was just really to help people understand the level of, when they branded it haute couture, what you could expect.

Annette: Exactly, so it is really important from a consumer standpoint to understand the system that you're patronizing and that you're literally buying into.

And that's not to say that prêt-à-porter, ready-to-wear clothing is worse in any way.

They're really just design economies made so that we can have clothing in preset sizes.

So for example, I don't have a lifestyle where I get to spend weeks on end in Paris going in for fittings for my clothing.

For me, ready-to-wear is a much better system because I don't invest that kind of time in purchasing my wardrobe.

I don't commission garments.

Peggy: But if you struck oil tomorrow, would you?

Annette: You know, I might, especially thinking about how important it is to respect the labor and craftsmanship and artisanry that goes into creating these pieces.

You're not just buying a coat; you're participating in a system of production.

And I think it can be really special for people who are makers in their own right to appreciate haute couture and recognize they as sewers, as embroiderers are participating in the same sort of systems of creating these things.

Just in different places.

Peggy: I agree.

I think if I struck oil tomorrow, I'd have at least one done.

But you know, if you had one done, then you'd totally get spoiled.

So we have another one on the table I want to take a look at because this, again, is just a really beautiful piece and has a lot of details that I think are really important.

Annette: So something that's really special about Givenchy is that, as a couturier, his brand has been around for a very long time.

Hubert de Givenchy started his business in the 1950s and continued to design through the 1990s.

Peggy: Okay, that's good numbers to know just because, again, when I look at these, they're so classic that I wouldn't even-- I would wear that today.

I wouldn't think--it doesn't look '50s at all, for me.

It doesn't look, and neither does this.

Annette: It's so true.

And what's really special, then, about these luxury brands that have invested in their histories is that this Givenchy piece is from the past decade or so, but we can see a lot of the same attention to detail and respect for textiles.

So knowing that that has been made part of the brand DNA for Givenchy lets us know that that's something that continues to inspire the designers who work there.

Peggy: And so again, plaids-- and we wanted to kind of focus on plaids because I do think a lot of ladies, sewers, men, are nervous about plaids.

I think it makes them unsettled.

So I think when we look at these two masters, and this is... was also haute couture?

Annette: Correct.

Peggy: Do you know who donated this particular piece?

Annette: So this one, we're lucky that Mercedes Bass from Fort Worth gifted this to us.

She's been an incredible patroness of the fashion arts and really sees the pieces that she adds to her wardrobe as being an extension of cultural heritage, which is why she's gifted over 1000 artifacts to our collection, which means that anyone with a research interest has access to these.

You know, many of--especially the students we work with-- would never have an opportunity to commission haute couture for themselves, which makes Mrs.

Bass's philanthropy so important to us.

Peggy: No kidding, and again I have to always wonder about the process.

Did she go and say, "I wanted a black plaid jacket," and he said, "Okay, I got you"?

You know, I always wonder about just how that process happens, and I know it's a collaboration-- we've heard that many times-- where it goes back and forth, but this is just beautiful.

And again, where you really notice-- the button's just a little bit wider at the top, the plaids being placed exactly.

This pattern had to be made for this plaid also because it's so much different than this other one we've looked at.

That just says time and a lot of money.

Annette: Exactly, time, money, thought, care.

We can see that in every detail here.

We can see it in the pocket flaps, which almost blend into the body of the garment.

It's almost like camouflage because that plaid has been so perfectly aligned.

We can see that the buttons are placed in a row that sort of follows the line of the plaid, but like you mentioned, it sort of bows out a little bit at the top.

Peggy: Just slightly, just slightly.

Annette: Especially since this is a women's wear blazer or jacket, it's really important, I think, to echo the lines of a wearer's body.

So this is a way of just adding a little bit of femininity and curve.

And we can see that line then even echoed in, like, a princess seam here and in a gentle swelling at the side.

Peggy: And you know, you work with these a lot.

Are there times you look at them and see them just a little bit differently than in the past?

Do you think you know them well enough that you could go home and draw them?

Annette: Oh, that's such a great question.

I think what's really special about the work that we do together is that highlighting individual pieces and spending time appreciating them means details really rise to the top.

You know, if we were to look at this for five seconds, we would not be able to appreciate the button placement, the plaid placement, the texture of the textile, where the pocket flaps are.

So often when a piece is so well designed, it rewards us for looking.

And that's something that I think people can translate to their everyday lives.

Peggy: It rewards us for looking.

I think that's profound because I do-- these pieces, I can see where the value and donation of these pieces is that so many can truly learn from these masters.

And it's not like you can get it all in one take, because there's little things about this that are just beautifully done, but I wouldn't take them all with me the first look.

Annette: It's so true.

Peggy: So I just can't say thanks enough for you sharing these garments.

I mean, they really are priceless for us.

The whole world gets to see them now.

So thank you, Annette.

Annette: Well, thank you.

Peggy: Thanks for being here.

So now that Annette's gone, we get to peek a little closer.

And I just wanted to show you, again, she pointed it out on the Givenchy we have on the model, but I need you to see this because, as home sewers, I think, so often, we beat ourselves up, and when we're trying to do a plaid, first off, we make it way harder than it is.

It's just not that hard.

I'm going to show you how to lay out the fabric so that we can get a real easy time frame and how to do it.

I do want you to notice how the curve of this lapel, if you notice, is not straight.

You can clearly see-- and most lapels do bow out, but in this particular case where it bows out on the actual front, when you flip it and you're on the facing now, it looks completely straight, and it's not because the shape has changed.

It's because of how it was placed on that plaid.

So, gosh, you could make a lot of plaid jackets and never notice that one detail, but notice it's been done from the front.

The front is off.

It's been aligned this way... but the front facing has been changed so that it lays perfectly straight.

Annette, when she was here, mentioned how the undersleeve, it can't possibly match up.

I want to go to the back just gently because when we're talking about matching plaids-- and we always want to match it from the front because that's where everybody's looking-- is at the front of us.

But, in fact, it can't be matched.

It's not possible to match it in the front and match it in the back.

So this is a perfect example.

Notice it's matched perfectly in the front, but what we know across the top of this cap, there's ease.

Everyone who makes a jacket knows that that ease is eased into play.

So there can't be ease and have it match in the front as well in the back.

When we come to the back, we start to see that it's just a little bit off.

And that's the best it can be.

It can't be any better.

And so in our own sewing, I brought a Chanel, but it's the same concept.

I just want to pull out a piece of fabric so that we can really get a very simple alignment process and that we can do this ourselves.

And we can just start with recognizing is the plaid even or uneven?

And the only reason I say that-- this is an uneven plaid, so this square is wider than this square.

What that means is I don't want to turn them different directions, but all I have to do is take my pattern and place it, the same plaid, all the way across the bottom.

That's it.

It's just as easy as easy can be-- same place all the way bottom-- so when it goes up, then the only other place I worry about is right here under the arm-- And I put the base of the underarm, I put it right there together.

Wherever this point lands on the side, I put that at the exact same place.

And then when I place the sleeve, where they sew together, I put that at the same place.

So this is a very easy thing to do.

You can do this.

All I got to do is watch that alignment, and you can also think about it-- if you're just really nervous, you can always turn it on a bias.

I often have some kind of bias trim.

This is a leather trim, and I can lay it on and match the seams to where they don't, you know, butt into each other, and no one will ever know.

Oscar de la Renta was a renowned designer who built a global brand rooted in elegance and timeless sophistication.

Over five decades, he dressed First Ladies, celebrities, and the world's most stylish women.

Join me next time on "Fit 2 Stitch" as we explore the artistry and legacy of Oscar de la Renta.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ announcer: "Fit 2 Stitch" is made possible by Kai Scissors, ♪♪♪ Reliable Corporation, ♪♪♪ Bennos Buttons, ♪♪♪ Plano Sewing Center, ♪♪♪ Elliott Berman Textiles, ♪♪♪ and WAWAK Sewing Supplies.

♪♪♪ announcer: To order a 4-DVD set of "Fit 2 Stitch" Series 14, please visit our website at fit2stitch.com.