Audrey Hepburn’s Color Analysis
In the last post I have already told you about the use of color in movies and the color palette that the costume designers created for divas in the past.
Today we talk about the color analysis of Audrey Hepburn: an actress, an icon, a myth.
And here is his color palette, made of cold and intense colors, which Audrey has faithfully adhered to, both on screen and in private life.
Let’s analyze it together, color by color:
PINK
Pink is undoubtedly the color that best represents Audrey Hepburn and her style: feminine, delicate, sometimes frilly and very bon ton.
In addition to her collection of cute hats, Audrey showcases countless stage (and not) clothes in this cold and luminous shade.
How can we forget the bright pink dress worn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? A masterpiece by Edith Head …
RED
Brother (or rather, dad) of pink, is red: another color loved by the actress, obviously in its coldest and most vibrant version.
We do not just talk about clothes, but also about beauty: her lunar undertones and the high contrast with her hair, are the ideal base for that red lipstick often used by Hepburn.
This color is recurring not only on the screen, but also in the numerous photos that portray her in different situations, private or not.
BLUE
Speaking of cool and bright colors, blue can not miss in Audrey Hepburn’s color palette. Coupled with her fair skin, I find it wonderful especially in the most intense shades.
But I do not mind at all even in the most delicate version, more in line with her bon ton style, from the beginning in the 50s to maturity.
PURPLE
Similar to the blue, another color that we often find in Audrey’s palette is purple: wonderful for the green-eyed brunettes.
Also in this case, we see the alternation of delicate tones and more intense colors, but the common denominator is always the cold undertone.
GREEN
Green is not a simple color, you know. But the old Hollywood costume designers, the first true image consultants, knew the right one for Hepburn’s skin tone.
From the bottle-green to the emerald-green, the intensity of the color is exalted expertly also by the choice of rich and bright fabrics, with a good color rendering.
YELLOW
The actress also loved bright colors like yellow, especially preferring the brightest shades like lemon-yellow.
But, again to emphasize the delicacy of her personality, we often find also a straw-yellow, which gives her an almost childlike appearance.
WHITE
I kept it last, but in reality it was one of Audrey Hepburn’s favorite colors: it is always a pure white, cold and bright.
In addition to the on-set images, there are many photos that depict Hepburn in total white even in private life, both young and later.
BLACK
Following the old four-season method, Audrey Hepburn’s color analysis would place her in the Winter category: black can not be missing.
After all, when we talk about the little black dress, we think of her and some of the most beautiful clothes in the history of cinema.
CONTRASTS
More than white, more than black, the one that best enhances the colors of Audrey Hepburn.
In fact, her skin-eye-hair mix is characterized by the combination of light and dark elements: any accessory in black and white works!
But there was a contrast that Audrey loved in particular: stripes, in all the sizes and combinations. Certainly her tiny little body did not fear the dilating effect of the horizontal lines …
And then again floral, polka dots and micro patterns, always with a high chromatic contrast …
Rossella Migliaccio
Italian Image Institute
