BORN ON THIS DAY

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY (19272018). The 6ft 6in French fashion designer founded his couture house in 1952, later creating the outfit worn by the Duchess of Windsor for her husband’s funeral and the black gown worn by Audrey hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (right). he was credited with introducing the idea of ‘separates’ — blouses, jackets and skirts that could be mixed and matched. he once said: ‘You must, if it’s possible, be born with a kind of elegance.’

ALAN RICKMAN (1946-2016). The Londonborn actor and director did more than 68 films, including Die hard, Love Actually and the harry Potter movies. he was dubbed ‘cinema’s greatest silver-tongued devil’, but feared typecasting and refused a Bond villain role. Ex-Labour minister Peter Mandelson wanted Rickman to play him in any biopic, as ‘he’s not afraid to play the hard guy’.