When Intimate Audrey opened at the end of July, it suddenly became apparent how—even in a country she never visited in her lifetime—her influence endures. She remains well-loved. The exhibit, helmed by her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, and his daughter Emma, was an instant hit just as it was in Brussels and Amsterdam, where the first two iterations of it were held.

Manila may seem like a peculiar choice after the exhibit’s first two stops. After all, Audrey did have a personal connection to those two places, having spent her younger years in each. But Manila, a gateway to the region with a huge Audrey Hepburn fanbase even 30 years after she passed, turned out to be a resounding success. “I grew up with Audrey Hepburn,” said First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, the vernissage’s guest of honor, as she toured the opening with Sean. “Her movies definitely made you feel good and she’s a fashion icon that my generation grew up with.”

But for Sean, her best role remains—to this day—to be being his mother. “I remember the day after she quit, she woke up with her hair flat and she took me to class,” he recalled.

One can argue that like the First Lady, many people in the crowd that night were inspired by Audrey Hepburn one way or another. With many of the guests donning her signature black and white, her favorite silhouettes, and even her signature Breakfast at Tiffany’s pearls—the exhibit was a sartorial tribute that not only celebrated her fashion sense but also highlighted her role as a trendsetter and a symbol of grace.

The exhibit opened to reveal a life well-lived. More than through her acting and dancing accolades, one will get to know Audrey through the eyes of her family—Sean, in particular. There were photos from their personal archives along with her personal items like her Balmain wedding dress, her ballet shoes, which she wore all the way to her last years on earth, her Oscar, and even the perfume Givenchy created specifically for her. True to its name, the exhibit is a way to get to know the icon of a woman but also the simple things that made her happy throughout her life.

“I stumbled upon the exhibit on a rainy afternoon in Amsterdam,” said Carmina Sanchez-Jacob of fashX. “I know of Audrey Hepburn. I’ve seen her films and I admire her work as an actress and a humanitarian but I can’t claim to be a super fan. If someone like me can walk away from that exhibit feeling so moved by it all, it made think of how her big fans would feel. I felt like Manila needed to see it too.”

As she was a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Audrey’s humanitarian work has been known all over the world, as she made a significant difference in the lives of countless children. Operating in more than 190 nations and regions, UNICEF ensures that every child’s rights are protected, an advocacy Audrey was fully supportive of and something she passed on to her children and the generations to come.

“This is our family culture,” Sean intimated. “Grace, humanitarian work, and generosity—all of that is something that I’ve seen. When my mother passed it on to me, I sort of caught the baton in the air because she died so young. I’ve tried to involve my children and pass it on to them. It is a family culture.”
Emma, for example, may not have had the chance to meet her grandmother but her memory and the stories about her live on through her dad, their family, and the rest of the world.

The vernissage was packed so I made a mental note to come back on a quiet weekday morning. It happened that following Monday. Our group of diplomatic spouses were welcomed by Carmina and Russkie of FashX and Sean himself. It was his last day in Manila yet he still made time for the group, answering questions and sharing insights about his mother’s past, from how she was happiest being a homemaker to how her first husband, Mel Ferrer, helped Audrey find her father, who walked out of her life when she was a young girl.
 

Some of the most striking items in the exhibits for me are her passports, from childhood to her heyday as a dancer then as an actress, and finally, her United Nations laissez-passer. It showed a multicultural and well-traveled way of life.
As the Manila exhibit runs until Oct. 29, visitors have the opportunity to deepen their connection to Audrey Hepburn. Each artifact, photograph, and anecdote is a thread in the rich tapestry of her life story, allowing fans to understand the woman behind the silver screen. 

Intimate Audrey’s success in Manila stands as a testament to the lasting impact of Audrey Hepburn’s legacy. Her ability to touch hearts and inspire minds remains as potent as ever, reminding us that true greatness goes beyond fame and fortune—it lies in the way one person’s life can shape the lives of countless others.
 

In a world that often moves at a relentless pace, Audrey Hepburn’s legacy encourages us to pause, appreciate the beauty around us, and extend a helping hand to those in need. As visitors leave the exhibit, they carry with them not just the memory of a Hollywood legend but a reminder of the enduring power of kindness, elegance, and the pursuit of making the world a better place.
 

During the vernissage, I asked Sean how—aside from the exhibit, of course—he intended to keep the memory of his mother alive. “I don’t,” he said matter-of-factly. “I don’t, because when you do marketing efforts, it’s to create a moment of virality—a moment. My mother is permanently viral everywhere in the world. So the best thing I should do is nothing. Because if I do anything, I’m going to ruin it.”