Madrid, Oct 15 (IANS/EFE): Madrid's fashion museum Museo del Traje has honoured French designer Hubert de Givenchy.

The museum announced the news in its Twitter accpunt, just before hosting an event for the 87-year-old designer at its headquarters in Madrid, at which he will be presented with a gold pin from the Spanish Jewellery design studio, Suarez.

Givenchy is a living legend in the fashion world and is currently in Madrid to attend the opening of an exhibition in the Thyssen-Bornemesza Art Museum focusing on the relationship between fashion and art that is set to open to the general public next week.

The French designer praised the Madrid museum, calling it the best example of its kind, and stressed that the late Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga, Givenchy's mentor and inspiration, would have given it his whole-hearted support.

Givenchy has been retired from the world of fashion since 1995, when he gave up the post of creative director of the firm that bears his name.

Museo del Traje houses historical and contemporary clothing and has over 160,000 fashion pieces and documents.

Collections date from the Middle Ages up to clothes by Spain's contemporary fashion designers.