May 4th marks the birthday of the late Audrey Hepburn, a true style icon who represented timeless chic. Hepburn shot to fame after winning the leading role as Princess Ann in Roman Holiday (1953), for which she won an Academy Award. After this she went on to catch the eye of not only directors, but designers as well. Hepburn had a famous ongoing style relationship with French fashion house Givenchy after Hubert De Givenchy dressed her for her role in Sabrina (1954). Givenchy went on to dress Hepburn in seven more film roles, as well as in her personal life. So then, who did she turn to for accessories? The answer is Louis Vuitton.

Hepburn was often seen wearing the popular Speedy travel bag. At the time, air travel was becoming popular among the elite and the pace of Hollywood was fast, so stars were often on the go. It’s no wonder then that the Speedy became so popular. Crafted originally out of a cotton canvas, it could be flattened to fit into a suitcase with ease. The bag was available in those times in sizes 30, 35 and 40.

As the perfect bag to carry on the go, it was the ideal accessory for Hepburn who was a very sought after and in demand actress. After the success of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), she went on to request that Vuitton created the bag in a smaller size for her, so that she could carry it on an everyday basis. He then created the Speedy 25, which has gone on to become an extremely popular style for the brand and is the perfect city holdall. It was released in classic monogrammed canvas, which remains a popular choice of material for the Louis Vuitton lover.

Hepburn contributed greatly to the ongoing success of the Speedy. Even today the Speedy 25 remains classic and timeless, which makes for an amazing investment, with a rich and interesting history behind it.Shop Louis Vuitton