Why Audrey Hepburn is a fashion icon for my generation

As a real fashion nerd, the one place I should be next Wednesday afternoon is Christie’s for the Audrey Hepburn: The Personal Collection sale. But, since I’m 13, I’ll actually be in double maths, so I’ll have to settle for the preview this weekend.

Why is Hepburn a fashion icon for my generation? We have a reputation for being couldn’t-care-less in our attitude, plus an obsession with trainers. Not at all Audrey, you’d think. But there are so many parts of her style that work for us just as much as they did for women decades ago.

First up, her eyebrows. Nothing matters more when it comes to beauty at the moment than a pair of gorgeously thick and polished brows. Instagram is also packed with tutorials on how to perfect the perfect cat’s-eye flick on the top eyelid, something Audrey nailed forever in Roman Holiday.

Then there’s her collection of Louis Vuitton luggage, which would be the envy of every wannabe fashion queen and rap star today. Even her uptight skirt suits from 1989 are where fashion is going at the moment. They have a sort of conservative class that, if the current shows are anything to go by, we’ll all be wearing next summer. For now, her slender Burberry trench coat would get me through winter very nicely.

Vogue has pinpointed polka dots as a main trend for this season. Sure enough, Audrey’s collection includes a spotted dress by her friend Hubert de Givenchy. I wish he’d been mine. As a partnership they created a lifetime of glamorous images — her the model, him the couturier — some of which are included in the sale. Every picture is perfect — if Audrey had lived in the selfie age she would have obliterated social media.

One lesson Audrey teaches us is that a woman should be fully accessorised. I haven’t reached the age when pearls, long white gloves and a silk scarf will look believable but I can’t wait for that moment. I look forward to wearing them all at the same time.

Audrey’s style was never outrageous but it was always exciting. The first time I saw her was on a poster for Breakfast at Tiffany’s in my aunt’s house. Her long black dress, scarlet lips and impressive diamond necklace made an impression that has stayed with me to this day.

Every girl wants a tiara but my allowance won’t stretch to the one she wore to the premiere of The Nun’s Story in 1959 (estimate £7,000-£10,000). It will buy me the catalogue, however, so I’ll make do with that.

Audrey Hepburn: The Personal Collection is at Christie’s, 8 King Street, St James’s on September 27