The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show was a historic fashion show held on November 28, 1973, in the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

to raise money for its restoration. Created by Eleanor Lambert and Versailles curator Gerald Van der Kemp, the show pitted French designers ( Yves Saint Laurent,

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric sh ...

Emanuel Ungaro Emanuel Ungaro (13 February 1933 – 21 December 2019) was a French fashion designer who founded the eponymous fashion house in 1965. Early life Ungaro's Italian father fled to France from Francavilla Fontana of Brindisi province because of the ...

Marc Bohan Marc Roger Maurice Louis Bohan (born 22 August 1926) is a French fashion designer, best known for his 30-year career at the house of Dior. Early life and career Bohan was born in Paris and grew up in Sceaux. As a child, Marc Bohan was encoura ...

, and

Hubert de Givenchy Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy (; 21 February 1927 – 10 March 2018) was a French aristocrat and fashion designer who founded the luxury fashion and perfume house of Givenchy in 1952. He is famous for having designed much of the ...

) against American designers ( Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows,

Halston Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer who rose to international fame in the 1970s. His minimalist, clean designs, often made of cashmere or ultrasuede, were ...

Bill Blass William Ralph Blass (June 22, 1922 – June 12, 2002) was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). Early ...

, and Anne Klein, who brought along her assistant,

Donna Karan Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Early life Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...

). With a guest list of 700 and notables such as

Princess Grace Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

Marie-Hélène de Rothschild Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina de Rothschild (; November 17, 1927 – March 1, 1996) was a French socialite who became a doyenne of Parisian high-society and was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France. Early life ...

, Jacqueline de Ribes, Gloria Guinness,

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

and Joséphine Baker the event became legendary. Each designer was to submit eight designs for consideration. The Parisian designers viewed their competition as mere sportswear designers. The American designers used eleven black models, an unprecedented number at the time. The American designers and their models stole the show, providing a youthful approach and stunning the primarily French audience. In 2011, the Huffington Post Game Changer Awards honored the African American models of Versailles with the Style Award. The models included

Pat Cleveland Patricia Cleveland (born June 23, 1950)The History Makers
August 14, 2014. Retrieved March ...

Bethann Hardison Bethann Hardison is an American fashion model and activist. Hardison is well known for being one of the first high profile black models after her appearance at the 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show. She is also known for her activism on div ...

Billie Blair Billie Blair is an American model. Early life Blair was born in Arkansas to parents, Hattie and William Blair, and is of African-American descent. Her name was given to her due to her father's certainty that she was going to be a boy. His plan ...

, Jennifer Brice, Alva Chinn,

Norma Jean Darden Norma Jean Darden is a model recognized by the 2011 Huffington Post Game Changer Awards. The awards honored African American models featured in The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show which was a fashion show held on November 28, 1973, in the Pala ...

Charlene Dash Charlene Dash is an African-American model. Dash is one of the models recognized by the 2011 Huffington Post Game Changer Awards. The awards honored African American models featured in the Versailles fashion show entitled The Battle of Versailles ...

, Barbara Jackson, Ramona Saunders, and

Amina Warsuma Amina Warsuma (born 1953) is an American model, author, actress and film maker. Early life Warsuma was born in the Bronx, New York to a Somali father and an American mother. Education Warsuma graduated with an ASS degree from Monroe College ...

. In 2012, filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper chronicled the event in the feature documentary, ''Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution''. The film included designer Stephen Burrows, French Chambre Syndicale President Didier Grumbach, and many of the models, journalists and guest who attended the event in 1973. In 2016 another documentary "Battle at Versailles" was made by the fashion network M2M, chronicling the event. The film was narrated by

Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...

and featured many of the event's participants. at Versailles".
/ref> A fictionalized version of the Battle is depicted in the television miniseries ''Halston'', which premiered May 2021 on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

References

External links

* Clarissa Cruz
"The Bold and the Beautiful: 3 Women Who Paved the Way for Black Models"
''O, The Oprah Magazine'', May 2012.
"Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution".

"Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution" panel discussion
from Archive on Demand
"The Battle of Versailles: Robin Givhan in conversation with Patricia Mears"
from Archive on Demand
"A Black Model in Paris"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Versailles Fashion Show Fashion events in France African-American cultural history 1973 in France 1973 in fashion November 1973 events in Europe