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

Well paced and interesting read Theresa Dickison I'm a bit of a fashion outsider as I pretty much have little or no fashion sense for myself. However, I do love looking at and reading about fashion as I consider it another art form on the same level as painting, sculpture, etc. I particularly enjoy the history of fashion and this b. MMdesigner said Exceeded expectations. I savored every moment of this recount of the 197Exceeded expectations I savored every moment of this recount of the 1973 fashion show at Versailles. After you read the book, watch the documentary "Versailles 73" - that is, if you're a true lover of fashion history. Ms. Givhan has a flowing writing style and manages to share the full story without unnec. fashion show at Versailles. After you read the book, watch the documentary "Versailles 7Exceeded expectations I savored every moment of this recount of the 1973 fashion show at Versailles. After you read the book, watch the documentary "Versailles 73" - that is, if you're a true lover of fashion history. Ms. Givhan has a flowing writing style and manages to share the full story without unnec. " - that is, if you're a true lover of fashion history. Ms. Givhan has a flowing writing style and manages to share the full story without unnec. "The Battle of Versailles is an excellent social history" according to R. Lysinger. The Battle of Versailles is an excellent social history. Yes, it is all about a great fashion event. More importantly it is a record of us as a country at the time. Because of the surrounding social and political events you get a well rounded account of why the fashion show at Versai

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. 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 essaystransformed fashion criticism into cultural criticism.” 2006 Pulitzer Prize Committee“The Battle of Versaille

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. On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. 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.. 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. By the time the curtain came down on the eve

. The Battle of Versailles is her first book. In 2006, she won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her fashion coverage. She has also contributed to New York and Vogue, among other magazines. 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