The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History, by Robin Givhan
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The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History, by Robin Givhan
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A Washington Post Notable Book of 2015"It was a big deal when American fashion went to Versailles. Who better than Robin Givhan to tell this captivating story?" - Diane von Furstenberg
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.
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History, by Robin Givhan- Amazon Sales Rank: #344158 in Books
- Brand: Givhan, Robin
- Published on: 2015-03-17
- Released on: 2015-03-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.54" h x 1.12" w x 6.34" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 320 pages
Review
“Givhan handles the story-and all its gossip, backbiting, and raging egos-with meticulous dexterity. She has an eye for the absurd and flamboyant detail...some [of which] seem astonishing in retrospect. The Americans...stunned the crowd that night... with their success in capturing the spirit of the modern woman through both their clothes and the pure energy they poured into the show.” ―Thessaly La Force, The New York Times Book Review
“In her debut book, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post fashion critic Givhan delivers a delightful, encyclopedic exploration of the players and leaders in the field.... Readers need not be fashion mavens to enjoy this entertaining episode of history, enhanced by Givhan's effortless ability to illustrate the models and designers (particularly Lambert) who changed how we dress.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Givhan paints a captivating portrait of the ethos of the era, from race riots and the Kerner Report to a "cultural... fascination with black identity" and glamorous nights at the disco, with juicy tales about arrogant designers acting out. While candid about the designers' faults, this is largely a glowing tribute to five iconic artists and their legacy in the fashion world.” ―Publishers Weekly
“It was a big deal when American Fashion went to Versailles…who better than Robin Givhan to tell this captivating story?” ―Diane von Furstenberg
“Reality TV has nothing on The Battle of Versailles. The year is 1973, and five legendary French couturiers face off against a team of their Seventh Avenue counterparts. There are hissy fits, liveried footmen, a party at Maxim's, and (prefiguring "Spinal Tap") a backdrop mistakenly measured in feet instead of meters. Halston refers to himself in the third person. A motley supporting cast that includes Josephine Baker, Liza Minnelli, Kay Thompson, Rudolf Nureyev, showgirls from the Crazy Horse, and a phalanx of dazzling black American models creates a spectacle, and the gratin of Paris society turns out. In this picturesque account, Robin Givhan weaves together the tectonic social and cultural shifts that set the stage for an epic fashion showdown.” ―Holly Brubach, author of A DEDICATED FOLLOWER OF FASHION
“In The Battle of Versailles, Pulitzer-prizing winning fashion critic Robin Givhan expertly captures the players and the scene of a turning point in both fashion and American culture, showing that chutzpah and savviness count as much as craftsmanship and refinement. With in-depth reporting and her warm, informative voice, Givhan proves that a fashion show is about far more than clothes. Indeed, as this fascinating book shows, it can spark a social revolution.” ―Dana Thomas, author of the New York Times bestselling DELUXE: HOW LUXURY LOST ITS LUSTER
“Robin Givhan's book recounts how the French fashion establishment in November 1973 fell in love with American couture. The Battle of Versailles tells the behind-the-scene story of the night that wildly cheering French critics gave a standing ovation to five American designers and their stunning black models. Givhan provides readers with both a front row and backstage view of the drama. It's a wonderfully fun read of how a few daring Yanks won recognition in world fashion.” ―George Taber, author of THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS
“[Givhan's] witty, closely observed essays...transformed fashion criticism into cultural criticism.” ―2006 Pulitzer Prize Committee
“The Battle of Versailles is a fashion primer, a history lesson and a juicy tale with colorful and insightful character studies.” ―Newsday
“As she sets up the saga of the legendary Versailles show, Givhan miraculously gives enough history and back story to paint a backdrop for the action in her swiftly-moving tale without burdening the plot with unnecessary details.” ―The Boston Globe
“Fashion critic Robin Givhan dismantles the story of how sexual, racial and gender tensions in the U.S. helped create the perfect environment for American designers to burst upon the exclusive French fashion scene one fateful night in 1973.” ―The Chicago Tribune
“Robin Givhan's enthusiastic history "The Battle of Versailles" is an effort to do for fashion what George Taber's "The Judgment of Paris" did for wine: focus on a broad cultural shift through the lens of a single occasion... With a huge cast of characters and a wealth of detail, Givhan leaves no scrap of information out...Perhaps, as with all great parties, you just had to be there.” ―The Washington Post
“A vivid account of the 1973 runway event at Versailles that traces how then-emerging designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Anne Klein, helped establish America as a dominant force in international style.” ―NPR
About the Author ROBIN GIVHAN is the fashion critic of The Washington Post, where she covers the news, trends, and business of the international fashion industry, and the former style correspondent for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. She has also contributed to New York and Vogue, among other magazines. In 2006, she won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her fashion coverage. The Battle of Versailles is her first book.
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Most helpful customer reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Was it the clothes or the models that night? By Jill Meyer Robin Givhan, the fashion reporter for the Washington Post, writes an interesting book, "The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History". It's the story of a sort "Battle of the Bands", but this was a "Battle of the Designers"; French vs American. The French went into the November 1973 evening as the winners, but as the long evening ended, the Americans emerged victorious.The competition, set up by American fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert with the assistance of French aristocrat Marie-Helene de Rothschild, was held in the Theatre Gabriel in the Chateau de Versailles. It was ostensibly a benefit for charity; the evening would be dinner and a fashion show. But what a fashion show; five designated French designers vs five designated American designers. Both would present a show to the 800 or so guests, combining fashion with a bit of showmanship. The guests would declare a winner.The early 1970's, when the competition occurred was a changing time in the fashion world. Many of the old-world designers like Chanel and Dior had died - Dior in 1957 and Chanel in 1971 - and the lives of many of the wealthy women who had been devoted customers of haute couture had changed; no longer were they changing their clothes three and four times a day. Life was simplified and ready-to-wear was coming into it's own. The American designers were moving into these designs perhaps a bit more rapidly than their French counterparts. Now was the time to see who had the vision of the future.While most of Givhan's book is about the ten fashion designers chosen to compete, she gives a lot of space to the models, particularly those used by the American designers. Robin Givhan, who is African-American, writes of the 10 African-American models brought to Paris. Some were established models - or as much as black models could be in those days - and others were breaking into the business. (This was the days before "super-models"; these models didn't MIND "waking up for less than $10,000 a day") But all were gorgeous (I had to look them up on Wiki because the readers copy of the book I was reading didn't include pictures other than a few on the inside front and back covers. The published copies of the book will have 16 pages of pictures.) And all knew how to move and to show the designs off with a flair perhaps lacking in their French counterparts.Was the American success at the show less the great clothes by the American designers and more the great moves that showed them off? Was the "showmanship" the designs...or the models? Givhan's book is an interesting read to all us "fashionistas" out there. Will the book appeal to those not interested in fashion and society. No, probably not as much. But I enjoyed it. And if you're reading this review, you probably will, too.
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful. Very enjoyable, entertaining read with an overblown premise. By Laurence R. Bachmann Robin Givhan's Battle of Versaille is a serious and simultaneously entertaining look at the growth of American fashion and its "breakout" in the 1970s. The premise of her book (a rather sketchy one I thought) was that a fundraiser to refurbish Versailles, developed into a "throw down" between French and American designers and....USA! USA! ! The world is forever changed!I appreciate every book of this type needs a premise or central idea. However, the author's emphasis on this show seems overblown. Fashion was not the sole domain of French designers. Mary Quant had turned the industry upside down with the mini-skirt; Halston had been dressing Jackie Kennedy for a dozen years before this event; Oscar de la Renta was thriving. Diana Vreeland had been setting trends at Harper's and Vogue with the frequency of any Parisienne. Yes, France was clearly dominant, but America was hardly a backwater of Yankee Doodle Dreary.I think too there is some overemphasis on the distinct world of couture and its iron clad hold on American style. Sak's, Bergdorf's and Bonwit Teller made a ton of money off of the well-to-do. What DID happen in the 70s is that fashion became accessible to a mass market. People like Balenciaga would have died before he dressed a suburban housewife. Bill Blass was happy to do so. Re: Bill Blass I think Givhans overstates his impact. Arbiters like John Fairchild of WWD had him banned from his publications as a derivative hack. Even when Nancy Regan became a client he never was quite first rank.What Givhans seems to under appreciate is that publicity, licensing and celebrity were now driving the industry. Art was now lithographs of soup cans; Calvin Klein jeans and the model who wore them, Bianca hooked up with Mick at Studio 54 to get high. That was different. Chic gave way to shock and sometimes shlock. The mix of high and low was a knee in the groin of couturier influence--the "Battle of Versaille" was just a place where everyone acknowledged--some for the first time-- the arriviste's had arrived. Some threw in their hand (Balenciaga) and walked away (rather nastily claiming there were no more beautiful women to dress). Some hibernated (Chanel). A few (YSL) thrived. By the 90s La Croix has led a new French Renaissance. The pendulum swings, it never remains in place.What the author does wonderfully well is take fashion seriously as an expression of culture. Whether my interpretation of events is correct or not too many writers often dismiss fashion, its aesthetic and its import. They focus on "pretty" (and therefore shallow) and don't think much at all about the political, or the cultural. Personally I've always thought this was driven by misogyny and homophobia. Men like sports so sports "build character." A woman's interest was shallow. Because fashion was the interest of women and the purview of so many gay men it was easily dismissed. The author doesn't make that mistake. Good for her.Robin Givhan, former fashion editor for the Washington Post drills deep down, understanding politics, status, and aesthetics are all of a piece in the world of fashion. She writes extremely well, able to do more than describe a fabric or pattern. She marvelously captures a mood and a time. If, occasionally, she overstates her case and its import, that is a characteristic of an industry that has so overused "fabulous" as to render it meaningless. She is restrained by comparison. The Battle of Versaille was a really enjoyable look back at a time that I lived through and remember quite well. If I don't agree with all of her conclusions, so what? This is all opinion, not fact. Givhans' opinions are intelligent, entertaining and worth considering. That's a fact.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Obviously the Versailles of '73 had a profound impact on ... By Lucky Brown Obviously the Versailles of '73 had a profound impact on the history of fashion, but I thought this story was excessively drawn out. I really appreciate Givhan's original research based on personal interviews. Definitely for the fashion enthusiast, but not the casual reader.
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