Exactly when did newbie American fashion designers prove their worth and beat out the Old Guard Europeans on their own turf? The exciting story of the Battle of Versailles by author Robin Givhan is the inside fashion show story that took place on November 23rd,1973. A great part of that story is not just the designers or the fashions but the American Models, including African-American/Black models who walked their walk, their personalities shining through in the immense and light filled palace of Versailles.Started as a fundraiser for the Palace in need of 60 million in restoration, with singer-dancer Liza Minelli as entertainment and ex pat African American Josephine Baker an honored invitee, there was a pre-event dinner at Maxims, a party in honor of Lisa and designer Halston. It only cost $20,000 per plate but 800 attended.
The French models showed the clothes they wore by French designers in a classic mode while the Americans proved that the time had come for ready-to-wear clothing to be acceptable to the upper classes. In the 1960's about 20,000 women in the entire world kept the couture houses busy making exquisite custom made clothing, in particular gowns and dresses for special occasions. Fashion houses in the United States tended to copy French fashions and wealthy Americans went to Paris to buy. But what about women who had money to spend but not that much money?
The guest list included Princess Grace of Monaco, nobility, and that mix of celebrity that brought the Europeans, philanthropists and members of the Best Dressed List including American women who went to Europe to buy their wardrobes. Diana Vree3dland, Nan Kemperer, Deeda Blair, Lynn Wyatt, Babe Paley, Betsy Bloomingdale, the Duchess of Windsor, wealthiest woman in the world Liliane Bettencourt of L'Oriel fame, and other women you've probably read about in Women's Wear Daily, Vanity Fair, or Town and Country magazines.They wore their jewels, their tiaras.
It was not until the end of the 1920's that off the rack clothing came to be. Until then nobility set trends and wealthy American women went to Paris. American designers tended to copy Paris fashions. Common people sewed their own clothing. Charles Frederick Worth started Couture in Paris in the mid 19th century. His House of Worth allowed wealthy women to have their own fashions made for them.
Chapter 1 page 12 of 29 of the e-book
"Historically clients maintained close relationships with their vendeuses, who were not just salespeople, but also social arbiters, gatekeepers, and meticulous business women who kept track of who bought which garments and how these orders were progressing through the atelier."
But now William Ralph Blass (who started as a sketch artist), Halston (who famously dressed Minelli), Anne Klein (born Hannah Golofski), Oscar de La Renta, Stephen Burrows (who made pants on women acceptable), and others decided to go to battle with Pipart, Piquet, Carden, Balmain, and Balenciaga, ...
Of the 36 American models who walked the runway, the African-American/Black models included Alva Chin, Pat Cleveland, Billie Blair, and that evening in 1973 these women brought the American's clothes to life. Josephine Baker, a dancer who made her fame in Paris and continued to live in France was still long and lean and provocative at age 67. She wore a crystal studded body suit that looked nude (think of Cher) and as she had defied racism in the United States these models were overwhelmed to meet her.
What music they walked to! Elvis Presley, Martha Reeves and the Vandells, Ray Charles...
Kay Thompson (who had the long friendship of Minelli and her mother Judy Garland - I know this from another source) was the choreographer and she had the American models move with speed. They went wheeling, dancing, posing, and posturing - just like an Ebony Fashion Fair - pre-Vouge. The audience shouted out and threw their programs into the air. They calmed down for the midnight buffet hosted by the Rothchilds in the King's Apartment there. Don't feel too sorry for the French. Maybe they were relieved that a new fashion day had dawned. Author Givhan's assures us "they were not miserable."
I rarely give a review a book here that I wasn't impressed with but a word about this author's writing. The ability to weave a splendid yarn includes having exquisite powers of observation and sans that, to interview people and do some research but artfully use language. I loved when she used the term "social moth" rather than "social butterfly," probably because I'm a moth!
You'll love this book if you love insider fashion!
P.S the 2013 cost per plate is estimated at $105,000!
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