Audrey Hepburn's Iconic 'Sabrina' Gown Is Having a Moment

Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the eldest son of Audrey Hepburn, is speaking out in response to the backlash sparked by Ivanka Trump's recreation of the late actress' iconic Givenchy gown.

In case you missed it, the fashion designer and eldest daughter of Donald Trump stepped out during the Liberty Ball earlier this week in a strapless white gown with a black embroidered floral design across the bust and decorating her skirt, which closely matched Hepburn's original gown, created for the 1954 film Sabrina.

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While Hepburn opted for white gloves and a delicate pair of earrings to accessorize the look, Trump went with black gloves and an eye-catching diamond necklace.

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In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, the White House said that the film star has "long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka" and that she was "honored" to wear the gown in tribute to her.

However, many took to X to condemn the look, pointing to Hepburn's involvement with the Nazi resistance during World War II while Trump's father often draws comparisons to the Nazi regime.

"The disrespect to a woman who survived the Nazis is astounding," one user wrote, suggesting that while she "might steal the style from Audrey" the two are incomparable.

"Ivanka Trump wearing Audrey Hepburn’s dress to the inauguration, when Audrey actually hated her Nazi-sympathizing parents and is the antithesis of Ivanka," another declared, suggesting that if the actress were still alive she would have "hated" what the Trump family stands for.

Bettmann/Getty Images
Bettmann/Getty Images
JIM WATSON/Getty Images
JIM WATSON/Getty Images

But Hepburn Ferrer, 64, found it to be "no wonder" that Trump, having grown up at a time where his mother was "a household name...chose to draw inspiration from her [and her] ultimate elegance and class reference..."

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The family has a number of connections to one another, as well, but even if they didn't, Hepburn Ferrer told the publication that his mother's "elegance" serves as "a reference point" or an "anchor" for countless celebrities "in these times in which we appear to have somewhat lost our way."

However, he firmly believes that his mother would have sided more with Marianne Budde, the viral Bishop who pleaded with the president during church service to "have mercy" on members of the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities—and whom supporters of the president are now calling to be deported, despite being an American citizen.

Hepburn, he said, "fought on behalf of the disenfranchised children worldwide regardless of the ideological environment in which they were born in."

Next: Donald Trump's Daughter Ivanka's Inauguration Day 2025 Outfit Compared to 'Handmaid's Tale' Character