The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History Hardcover – March 17, 2015

I loved this book and was very surprised by its depth, which went way beyond anything I expected when I ordered it. A simple recap of fashion's historic "Battle of Versailles" -- how it came to be, the challenges of putting it together and pulling it off, and the parties and chaos of the days leading up to it--would have been a great read unto itself. But thanks to Givhan's extraordinary knowledge of her subject matter and unmatched skill with a narrative, we quickly begin to understand that the event itself was but a tiny part of a much bigger story, which to my knowledge has never been told as meticulously as Givhan has told it.Essentially, the USA v France couture "battle" signaled the culmination of a series of events that led to radical and irreversible change in the world of fashion--and beyond. This change had cultural, stylistic, economic and, perhaps most unexpectedly, racial implications (which Givhan does a particularly deep and insightful dive on, particularly toward the end of the book). One of the great takeaways is that no one at the time really realized what this event would come to symbolize, most thinking of it as an especially clever but not especially significant affair, yet Givhan does the math here big time and in the process gives it and its key participants and organizers great and worthy due.And for all of the history and analysis that Givhan has managed to pack into this standard-sized book (her first, nonetheless!), it is an astonishingly breezy read. "The Battle of Versailles" is not just for fashion buffs. It's really for any reader who craves excellent nonfiction writing.

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 book really delivers on that front. The book deals with one particular chapter in fashion which was a fashion show held in Paris in 1973 that showcased American and French designers side by side. It wasn't marketed as a competition but everyone pretty much knew that's what it was. The book goes in depth on every designer that participated and how they got to the pinnacle of their profession. The actual event is covered in blow-by-blow detail. Most fashion insiders will know how the whole thing turned out but since I didn't, the sense of anticipation and the end result were satisfying. It's a pretty well paced read and not boring at all. I read it in a couple of days.The only thing I do wish it had were pictures that illustrated the various designers and their creations, their studios, and the room in Versailles where this all took place. I spent a lot of time Googling things so that I could get some context with it. I did eventually purchase the film documentary "Versailles '73" that gave me the visuals but some illustrations in the book couldn't hurt and would make it more enjoyable.

An interesting book while it deals with fashion history, contemporary event and the designers and model who participated in the 1973 Versailles show, but it unfortunately otherwise descends into a repetitive polemic on the extent of black model participation in runway shows.

If you like a well written, well researched book you'll love this book. It's an important piece of American history, fashion history and Black history. I can't think of a person I would not recommend reading this book. It's a great read.

love it, the author is a fabulous story teller , especially since the significant event had not been documented.

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 Versailles had such impact.

OK but tries to hard to be relevant.

A good look at the development of fashion in the United States. I enjoyed the book even more having met both Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta when they came to Stephens College to critique the students' designs.

¡Gran libro!

I doubt if non-fashion readers will appreciated it that much, but for everyone in Fashion it is a terrific must read and tells a lot about the 70s and the challenge of equal rights for blacks and whites in couture- circles

Wow! The best and most interesting book on what is going on inside the fashion-business since "The Beautiful Fall"!

Conozco sobre el tema, gracias a la serie Halston. La descripción del libro, es muy escueta. Solo es una novela, incluye muy pocas fotos, y son en blanco y negro. Papel de mala calidad.

This is more than the story of a fashion event. It mixes history and social mores in both the US & France across the 50s, 60s, 70s and explains why fashion mores changed over time.And extremely detailed and researched. Interesting stuff.