Publisher's Synopsis
Conceived as a fundraiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, the world's elite gathered in Versailles' grand theatre to view a fashion extravaganza of the best that French and American designers had to offer, while being entertained by Liza Minnelli and Josephine Baker. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion. At the Battle of Versailles five Americans faced off against the five French designers considered the best in the world. Against all odds, the American energy and the domination by their fearless models sent the audience reeling. By the end of the evening, the Americans had transformed their place on the world stage and sowed the seeds for changing the way race, gender, sexuality, and economics would be treated in fashion for decades to come. Robin Givhan's research brings the event alive and places it firmly in the history of fashion.
