Remembering Jackie.(interview with Hubert de Givenchy)(Brief Article)(Interview)

Jacqueline Kennedy was introduced to French couturier Hubert de Givenchy in the late 1950s by her sister, Lee Radziwill, a Givenchy client. Soon enough, Kennedy herself was a Givenchy devotee, and together the pair came up with her signature look: pastel shifts with matching coats, empire-waist dresses and boxy suits topped off with a pillbox hat. That look influenced a generation of women and is still the standard for American chic. Several of Givenchy's creations for Kennedy are now on display in the hit exhibit "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years," at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Givenchy, now 74 and retired, recently spoke in Paris with NEWSWEEK's Dana Thomas about Kennedy's style. Excerpts:

THOMAS: What was Jacqueline Kennedy like?

GIVENCHY: She had beautiful shoulders--which she usually kept bare--a distinct waist, perfect posture. She knew exactly what would work, and she never made mistakes. She never overwhelmed herself with jewels or other extravagances. The simpler a look, the more it showed off her face. But she felt good in her clothes, and that was not my influence. Happily, my designs went well on her.

Yet, when her husband became president of the United States, he forbade her to wear anything but American designs, and former Hollywood costumer Oleg Cassini became her official designer.

Yes, but she continued to order from us anyway, very discreetly. She also bought dresses via her sister or her friends. For certain occasions, we would receive ...