If elegance could be embodied, it would take the image of Hubert de Givenchy. A major figure in haute couture, a close friend of Audrey Hepburn and the Parisian elite, an aesthete and a man of style, he spent his life collecting furniture and objets d’art. In the coming days, 1200 lots from his personal collection from his two iconic residences – the Hôtel de l’Orrouer in Paris, Rive Gauche and the Château du Jonchet in the Loire Valley – will be auctioned at Christie’s Paris from June 14 to 17. Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Claudio Bravo, the Lalannes, the Giacometti brothers, Givenchy selected the pieces that marked his time. And he loved to surround himself with the rarest personalities and objects. Under the advice of his mentor, Christobal Balenciaga, he decorated his house in green (his favorite color), and after many consultations with Gabrielle Chanel, bought only black porcelain vases, the most sought after according to Mademoiselle.  Among all these rare pieces, Christie’s experts point out that the lot that will beat all the records is probably the sculpture of Alberto Giacometti “The Woman who walks” (price on order). The famous sculptor might have been one of his closest friends: it’s him who made doll size dog sculptures when one of Hubert de Givenchy’s pets passed away… A must see at Christie’s Paris until June 14. Note: Hubert de Givenchy’s collection began with a giant armoire with an Apollo chariot, signed by André-Charles Boulle, which was also one of the first objects sold by Givenchy in 1992 with the help of the Kugel brothers. At the time, the couturier wanted to get rid of the second floor of his house on Rue de Grenelle in a hurry, because his labrador retriever could no longer climb the stairs. The sale was a great success, and the dog recovered from his illness after an operation in the United States… So, Hubert de Givenchy decided to refurnish his second floor with new collector’s items! For the first time in 30 years, this legendary armoire and other items from the emblematic 1992 sale will be on display at the Kugel gallery (25 quai Anatole France, 7eme) until June 15.