Wikipedia

Jean-Claude de Givenchy

Jean-Claude Jacques Robert Taffin de Givenchy (May 5, 1925 – May 18, 2009) was a French aristocrat, businessman, perfumer and owner of Parfums Givenchy.

Marquess
Jean Claude Taffin de Givenchy
De Givenchy, c. 1978
Born
Jean Claude Jacques Robert Taffin de Givenchy

(1925-05-05)May 5, 1925
Beauvais, France
DiedMay 18, 2009(2009-05-18) (aged 83)
Cannes, France
Resting placePassy Cemetery
Citizenship
  • France
  • United States (since 1951)
Known forOwning and leading Parfums Givenchy
Spouses
Patricia Marie Myrick
​
​
(m. 1947)​
Ellen Ahr Funkhouser
​
​
(m. 1979)​
Children7
RelativesHubert de Givenchy (brother)
Taffin de Givenchy Family Grave in Passy Cemetery

Early life

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De Givenchy was born May 5, 1925, in Beauvais, France, the eldest son of Lucien Taffin de Givenchy, Marquis of Givenchy (1888–1930) and his wife Béatrice "Sissi" (née Badin; 1888–1976). He was raised alongside his younger brother, later fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy (1927–2018). The family originally hailed from Venice, Italy, the original spelling of the family name being Taffini turned later, landing in France, in Taffin. The family was ennobled in 1713 at which they became Marquis of Givenchy and started carrying the name de Givenchy. When he was barely five years of age, he lost his father to influenza. From then on he and his brother were brought up by his mother and maternal grandmother in Beauvais, France. His maternal grandfather Jules Badin (1843–1919) was the owner and director of the historic Gobelins Manufactory and Beauvais tapestry factories.[1]

Career

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Jean-Claude, as the elder of the brothers, inherited the family's marquessate at the death of their father.[2][3]

He started his career as an executive for Air France in New York City, but upon request in 1952 of his brother Hubert he returned to Beauvais to manage the Parfums Givenchy, which he later owned and was sold to Bernard Arnault's LVMH alongside the Givenchy fashion house.[4]

Personal life

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De Givenchy was married privately to American-born Patricia Marie Myrick (1926–2012),[5][6] daughter of an US Army colonel[6] and relative of the future American fashion designer Sarah Staudinger.[7] He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1951.[8]

They had seven children:

  • Richard Taffin de Givenchy (1948–2021),[9] twin of Patrick.
  • Patrick Taffin de Givenchy (born 1948), twin of Richard.
  • Philippe Taffin de Givenchy (born 1952), formerly the owner of Atmosphere by Philippe de Givenchy, LLC, based in Greenwich, Connecticut.[10][11]
  • Hubert Taffin de Givenchy (1954–2016), who married Hong Kong-born Parisian model Suzi de Givenchy.[12][13][14] They had three sons.[13]
  • Béatrice Taffin de Givenchy (born 1956)
  • James Taffin de Givenchy (born 1963), twin of Olivier,[14] co-owner of the Château du Jonchet,[15] who married American fashion designer Gina de Givenchy.[16][17] They have one daughter.[16][18]
  • Olivier Taffin de Givenchy (born 1963), twin of James,[14] French-American financier and region head of JPMorgan Chase,[19] co-owner of the Château du Jonchet,[15] who married firstly Christine (née Paul; later Goulding),[20][21] with whom he has one daughter and one son (including Gabriella de Mallmann),[21][16] divorced and married secondly Melbourne-born wealth management consultant-turned-homeware entrepreneur[22][23] Zoë de Givenchy (née Couper), with whom he has another son.[24]

After his divorce of his first wife, he married in 1979 in Broward, Florida,[25] Ellen de Givenchy (née Ahr; formerly Funkhouser),[26] of Concord, Massachusetts, a former teacher,[27] with whom he had stepdaughter Elizabeth [Funkhouser de Givenchy] Soriano[28] (née Funkhouser), and moved back to France where they settled in Chateauneuf-de-Grasse.[28] Previously, he was a long-term resident of Greenwich, Connecticut.

References

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  1. ^ Beyfus, Drusilla (October 6, 2015). Vogue on Hubert de Givenchy. Abrams & Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781613128213. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  2. ^ Polan, Brenda; Tredre, Roger (January 9, 2020). The Great Fashion Designers: From Chanel to McQueen, the Names that Made Fashion History. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 125. ISBN 9781350091610. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Hubert de Givenchy. Fondateur de Givenchy". Libre Service Actualités (LSA) (in French). October 16, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Weil, Jennifer (May 31, 2009). "Jean-Claude de Givenchy Dies at 84". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "Jean-Claude TAFFIN de Givenchy". Geneanet. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Liaut, Jean-Noël (2000). Hubert de Givenchy (in French). Grasset. ISBN 9782246579991. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Macon, Alexandra (June 16, 2022). "Inside Ari Emanuel and Sarah Staudinger's St. Tropez Wedding". Vogue. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  8. ^ U.S. Naturalization Records, New York, 1865-1957
  9. ^ "Avis de décès de Monsieur Richard TAFFIN DE GIVENCHY". Libra Memoria. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "business". service.ct.gov. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  11. ^ "RINFRET v. DE GIVENCHY, 2007 Ct. Sup. 14728 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Trochu, Eugénie (July 12, 2022). "Une fille, un style : dans le magnifique appartement de Suzi de Givenchy à Paris". Vogue France (in French). Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Mui, Cherry (January 11, 2023). "Who is Suzi de Givenchy? The 55-year-old Hong Kong-born Parisian model is finding her own voice beyond fashion". Tatler Asia. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c Middleton, William (May 16, 2022). "The Unparalleled Elegance of Hubert de Givenchy". W. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Jansen, Eric (February 2, 2022). "Esprit de famille". Les Échos (in French). Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Marshall, Alex (November 8, 2021). "Tour Hubert de Givenchy's French Country Estate". Town & Country Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (April 7, 2017). "Gina de Givenchy Launches Geeg Specializing in Headwear for Women Fighting Disease". WWD. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  18. ^ Binkley, Christina (April 22, 2015). "Jewelry Designer James Taffin de Givenchy's Prized Possession: His Family History". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  19. ^ "Olivier de Givenchy on J.P. Morgan Private Bank". privatebank.jpmorgan.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  20. ^ "WEDDINGS: Christine Paul, O. J. Taffin de Givenchy". The New York Times. July 5, 1992. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Macon, Alexandra (September 30, 2021). "Gabriella de Givenchy Wore Her Family's Haute Couture to Wed on the Cliffs of Capri". Vogue. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  22. ^ Asome, Carolyn (February 2020). "Zoë de Givenchy On Heritage And Home". Matches Fashion. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Pithers, Ellie (July 26, 2023). "Inside Zoë De Givenchy's Eclectic Coastal Home In Malibu". Vogue. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Lauriot Prévost, Marie-Eudes (June 29, 2022). "Hubert de Givenchy collectionneur chez Christie's". Point de vue (in French). Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  25. ^ Florida Marriage Index, 1927-2001
  26. ^ "Carnet du Jour – Jean-Claude TAFFIN de GIVENCHY". Le Figaro (in French). May 29, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  27. ^ "Elmer Funkhouser 3rd And Ellen Ahr Married". The New York Times. December 29, 1964. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  28. ^ a b "WEDDINGS: Ms. de Givenchy And Mr. Soriano". The New York Times. June 13, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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