The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History
SKU: 744529835

The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History

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The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made HistoryOn November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. This is that story. Conceived as a fund raiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, in the late fall of 1973, five top American designers faced off against five top French designers in an over

On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. This is that story.

Conceived as a fund-raiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, in the late fall of 1973, five top American designers faced off against five top French designers in an over-the-top runway extravaganza. An audience filled with celebrities and international jet-setters, including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, and Andy Warhol, were treated to an opulent performance featuring Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Rudolph Nureyev. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion.

The Americans at the Battle of Versailles- Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Halston, and Stephen Burrows - showed their work against the five French designers considered the best in the world - Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior. Plagued by in-fighting, outsized egos, shoestring budgets, and innumerable technical difficulties, the American contingent had little chance of meeting the European's exquisite and refined standards. But against all odds, the American energy and the domination by the fearless models (ten of whom, in a groundbreaking move, were African American) sent the audience reeling. By the end of the evening, the Americans had officially taken their place on the world's stage, prompting a major shift in the way race, gender, sexuality, and economics would be treated in fashion for decades to come. As the curtain came down on The Battle of Versailles, American fashion was born; no longer would the world look to Europe to determine the stylistic trends of the day, from here forward, American sensibility and taste would command the world's attention.

Pulitzer-Prize winning fashion journalist Robin Givhan offers a lively and meticulously well-researched account of this unique event. The Battle of Versailles is a sharp, engaging cultural history; this intimate examination of a single moment shows us how the world of fashion as we know it came to be.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: 04/05/2016
ISBN: 9781250062321
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.80w x 0.90d
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SKU: 744529835

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Works great for me
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I love the size of this purse. Not too big but big enough to hold what I need. The compartment for credits cards and drivers license works better than carrying a wallet. I'm really happy I purchased this. Works better than any designer bag and for a lots less money.
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i love this purse!
Color: 06 - Black
this purse is small but super cute for everyday use, it has card slots on the inside so no need for a wallet, it is a tight shoulder bag and sits up higher by my armpit. it feels sturdy and not flimsy. good thick material as well. overall i definitely recommend if you need a small shoulder bag for everyday use!
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molle polzin
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Nice purse
Color: 06 - Black
This is a great little purse. Great size, sturdy. Love the guitar and smaller strap. The only thing I am a little annoyed with is that there is a big pocket on the inside (opposite of the card holder pocket) that sticks out too much and you have to push it back each time to get to the stuff in the middle compartment. Otherwise, it's cute.
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C. B. Krieger
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This small purse can carry a lot
Color: 05 - Wine Red, Color: 05 - Wine Red
This small purse is not only very versitle but is holds a lot. It comes with two straps - one that can easily make the bag become a cross body and the other for hand/wrist holding. Both of these straps have the "fancy" metal loop attachments - i.e. just push the loop where you need it to go, and it will open, press to get "over" the connection and then the loop will close -you may wish to magnify one or some of my pictures to get a closer look at what I mean. The purse has a seperate front pocket for your phone or other item; with a magnitized clasp. There is also a zippered flat pocket on the other side of the purse for other items. The inside of the purse iteself has 8 slots for cards/ids - again you may wish to magnify my pictures to see this. Behind the flap for the cards, there is a pocket/section, which mirrors the other pocket section on the other side of the purse - plus you have the main area of the purse. You can even just make this a purse a clutch but not attaching either of the straps. Making this purse able to hold a lot and very versitile to adapt to/compliment any outfit.
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