Introducing All About Audrey
After tweeting a link to the post,
Rachel from Hello, Chelly's reply made my day:
You know that moment when you find out that someone loves to read? I love how you immediately start talking about what you've read recently and bonding over shared favorites. Well, that's exactly how I felt when I started talking to Rachel about Audrey Hepburn! Plenty of people admire her beauty and style, and many people have seen at least one of her movies. She's an iconic actress, and I see photos of her everywhere. There's admiring, and then there's loving. And I love Audrey Hepburn. From reading books about her life to watching almost all of her movies, I can't get enough of her.
Finding out that Rachel shared that love was such a fun moment! Then, she sent me an email that made me giddy: she proposed we collaborate on an Audrey Hepburn event. As we started brainstorming, we realized that we had enough ideas for a week-long celebration. And that brings us to All About Audrey! We're going to spend this week sharing posts inspired by Audrey Hepburn, and I hope that you enjoy everything we've got planned. The best part? Audrey was born on May 4, 1929, so we're kicking off the event on her birthday!
My Love for Audrey
I wish I could pinpoint the moment I first watched an Audrey Hepburn movie! I vividly remember visiting my grandparents in Arkansas, sitting on their bed and watching the Turner Classic Movies channel all by myself. Based on the timing, I know that I wasn't even 13 yet. I was a little girl, and I'd fallen in love with black and white movies. But I think it was Kitty Foyle, a Ginger Rogers movie from 1940, that acted as the catalyst for what was to become a lifelong love of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
I named my blog "So Obsessed With" for a reason. When something strikes my fancy, I get
hooked. That's how it was with Old Hollywood movies. I started watching as many as I could and reading books like
Leading Ladies and
Leading Men to find more recommendations. One movie led to another! But Audrey Hepburn was one of my earliest discoveries, and I fell in love with her from the minute she appeared on my screen.
Her beauty was undeniable - I couldn't take my eyes off her. She carried herself with such poise and embodied an innate glamour and style. I sought out biographies and coffee table books so I could learn more about her life, her style and her movies. I wanted to know everything I possible could! And the more I learned about her, the more I loved her. I knew, without a doubt, that she had become my favorite actress.
A Few Fun Facts
I've never been the most fashionable person, but I loved her style. She could make anything look lovely, but I adored how she gravitated towards simple, classic, well-made pieces. I loved her look - tall and thin with pale skin and big brown eyes. But most of all, I loved her story. The more I read about her, the more fascinated I was by her. But since you probably only know her from her movies or one her most famous photographs, here are five of my favorite Audrey facts:
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1. Audrey longed to be a prima ballerina. As a child, Audrey loved to dance. And she was captivating onstage! However, at 5'7", she was considerably taller than most of the other female and male dancers. When she realized she'd never be able to achieve this dream, she began pursuing other jobs. And the rest is history.
2. She was "discovered" in a hotel lobby. After putting her ballet dreams to rest, Audrey continued to work hard. She won spots as a chorus girl in a number of shows, modeled and was cast in small roles in films. Around this time, French novelist Colette spotted Audrey in a hotel lobby. She'd finally found her Gigi! It took some convincing and training, but critics loved Audrey when she finally made her onstage debut.
3. Audrey's favorite designer? Givenchy. For Sabrina, Paramount Studios flew Audrey to Paris to meet talented designer Hubert de Givenchy. He thought he was meeting Katharine Hepburn, as Audrey was still relatively unknown. She showed up in an odd outfit - topped off with a straw gondolier's hat - so it wasn't an auspicious beginning. But it ended up being the start of a lifelong friendship and partnership.
4. Her most unusual pet? A fawn! Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie called Green Mansions as a girl living in the Venezuelan jungle, surrounded by nature and drawn to animals. The animal trainer suggested Audrey take the fawn home with her to get develop the bond she needed to portray in the movie, and the two became very attached. It was in her life for only a short period of time, but it's one of my favorite stories.
5. She was passionate about UNICEF. In 1987, Audrey spoke at an event on behalf of the Portuguese Committee of UNICEF. She drew an incredible amount of attention to an important cause and eventually became an International Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. She took the role very seriously and visited over twenty different countries with the organization. She was able to use her celebrity status for good!
Make sure you check out Rachel's post and follow #AllAboutAudrey on Twitter!
