Capucine's image as an haute couture model continues to be an icon of absolute elegance.
Her enormous beauty, talent, and charisma made her a Hollywood star. But her success was always marred by her tendency to depression and loneliness, mental problems that led her to a sad and dramatic end. Today we remember the mythical actress and mannequin whose photographs continue to make us fall in love.
Her real name was as long, elegant, and stylized as she was: Germaine Hélène Irène Lefèbvre. She was born on January 6, 1928, in the town of Saint-Raphaël (France), in a middle-class family, and she cared about her training. Upon finishing her basic studies, she began a degree in art and foreign languages (something that would come in handy for her later career in the United States); but already in her teens, and following the advice of a photographer friend, she went to Paris to work as a model.
It was evident that she had to dedicate herself to it, taking into account her absolutely spectacular physique: tall, thin, and lanky, with a very thin and oval face, an endless neck, perfect eyes, and above all, the unique elegance of someone born with a and glamour. It was precise while she was studying modeling and taking her first steps as a mannequin that she adopted the pseudonym with which she would become famous, and which matched a glove with her image: Capucine, without surnames... the name of an equally beautiful and elegant flower.
Her success in Paris was immediate: her perfect image of her, together with the fact that she was a studied lady, with class, culture, and languages, quickly made her the preferred model of the most prestigious high-end houses. sewing. She began working with Germaine Lecomte and Maggy Rouff, while she was taking her first photographs for the magazines of the time.
It was the end of the 1940s, the beginning of the new golden age of haute couture in Paris, after a world war had swept across Europe, obliterating luxury production for a while. They were also times in which the couturiers had mannequins that worked in the Maison itself, parading in front of the clients. Her growing prestige led her to the biggest: Dior, Balmain, Fath, Givenchy...
In fact, Hubert de Givenchy himself was not only her boss but would become one of her faithful friends and mentors. Likewise, Capucine has worked, since then, with some of the best photographers of the 20th century, such as Henry Clarke, Jen Chevalier, Georges Dambier, Robert Capa, etc.
Despite her incredible beauty and her culture - she studied art, and acting, and spoke several languages for years - the reality is that the actress has always suffered from continuous insecurity.
At this time, the young woman also met Audrey Hepburn -modeling partner in Paris-, who would become her great and eternal friend for her life; so much so that Capucine was the godmother at Audrey's wedding to her second husband, Andrea Dotti; so much so that they lived in Switzerland in their later years, always together.
The star among the stars
Capucine also began her film career at a very young age: her first appearance in a film of hers was with the director Jean Cocteau, in 1948, specifically, it was The Eagle with Two Heads. At this time, she is marrying the actor Pierre Trababud, but her marriage only lasts a few months. It was her only wedding, in an unstable emotional journey, which led her to live almost always in solitude.
In 1957 the American producer Charles Feldman noticed her and encouraged her to start her career in the United States. Her first foray into an American film was in Sueños de amor, by Charles Vidor, alongside Dirk Bogarde; Her start in Hollywood could not have been better, since for this role she received the 1961 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
From there, she continued an equally recognized and successful journey, participating in numerous American films, with some of the most brilliant stars of the time, who immediately admitted her to her elitist circles, and admired the stunning elegance of the French woman.
Perhaps her most famous film was The Pink Panther, in 1963, where she played Simone, the wife of Detective Clouseau. But she also worked on Clive Donner's What's Up, Pussycat? The Grand Slam, by Henry Hathaway, Alaska Land of Gold, and many more.
During her years in Hollywood, the model had an affair with William Holden, a successful heartthrob of the moment, which ended in a tortuous way. She did not know many more romances; For this reason and because of her continuous loneliness, it was always said of Capucine that she was H-S. But, in any case, and whatever it was, she always maintained exemplary privacy.
Despite her incredible beauty, her culture -for years she studied art, acting, and spoke several languages-; even though she had universal prestige and the affection of numerous good friends, the reality is that the actress always suffered from continuous insecurity. Paradoxically, while the world saw her as her personalized perfection, she suffered from a persistent lack of self-esteem and confidence. Problems such as lack of spirits intensified as she got older until they degenerated into depressions that were not adequately treated.
It must be remembered that at that time depression was considered a "crazy thing": a shameful and unrecognized disease, which was not confessed or proclaimed in public. Much less if you were a famous person all over the world. Hermetic with her personal life, closed, solitary, and reserved as she was, her permanent sadness must have been a recurring ordeal for her.
Hermetic with her personal life, closed, lonely, and reserved as she was, her permanent sadness must have been a recurring ordeal for her.
At the end of the sixties, Capucine decides to return to Europe and settles in Switzerland, specifically in Lausanne, where her dear friend Audrey Hepburn also lived, who assisted her and accompanied her in many of her worst moments. There are no certain data in this regard, but it is believed that Germaine suffered, from her youth, manic-depressive episodes, and even a possible bipolar disorder, which would have led her to attempt suicide on different occasions.
Failed attempts, which were aborted by people around her. Until, finally, on March 6, 1990, no one could prevent the drama: at just 62 years old, Germaine threw herself from the window of her eighth-floor apartment on the Chemin de Primerose street. With no known close family, according to the New York Times obituary, she was survived only by her three cats. Although Audrey and her good friends always remembered her, maintaining, yes, silence about what happened, and respect for her always desired privacy.
