SKU: 744529835

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

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The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made HistoryOn November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. 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

On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. 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. An audience filled with celebrities and international jet-setters, including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, and Andy Warhol, were treated to an opulent performance featuring Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Rudolph Nureyev. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion.

The Americans at the Battle of Versailles- Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Halston, and Stephen Burrows - showed their work against the five French designers considered the best in the world - Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior. Plagued by in-fighting, outsized egos, shoestring budgets, and innumerable technical difficulties, the American contingent had little chance of meeting the European's exquisite and refined standards. 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. By the end of the evening, the Americans had officially taken their place on the world's stage, prompting a major shift in the way race, gender, sexuality, and economics would be treated in fashion for decades to come. As the curtain came down on The Battle of Versailles, American fashion was born; no longer would the world look to Europe to determine the stylistic trends of the day, from here forward, American sensibility and taste would command the world's attention.

Pulitzer-Prize winning fashion journalist Robin Givhan offers a lively and meticulously well-researched account of this unique event. 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.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: 04/05/2016
ISBN: 9781250062321
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.80w x 0.90d
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SKU: 744529835

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jayden baez
New York, US
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Top loaders
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Very durable & affordable
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
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Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great quality products. Perfect wiggle room for Pokemon cards
Size: 1000 Hard Sleeves+1000 Soft Sleeves
Have to say this is a top 3 quality of toploader plus sleeves combination. I’m switching out my collection to this right here. The sleeves perfectly fit Pokemon cards and don’t leave too much room at the top which I love
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026
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David LeClercq
Draper, US
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Card holders.
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Great product!! I collect cards. These are my go to
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
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Belizabeth
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 4
Good product, value is present but could use better packing
Size: 100 Hard Sleeves+100 Soft Sleeves
These were a great alternative for cards I was giving to a donation (not for money nor profit but still deserved protection). I forgot what the order was initially as everything comes in the one box; seems to be the original toploader box. I mention this because it is overstuffed and had tape around the entire box three times over; even then there were torn box corners. It didn't effect the top loaders as so far mine don't look scratched nor any more distorted than premium, known brands I've bought plenty of times. The penny sleeves weren't counted and I've only used a few but they didn't pop open on both ends nor were they oddly sized. I'd also say I didn't buy this for the gloves but mine only had one in it and tried it on just because and it fit pretty accurately- but I am a petite female with small hands so if you aren't (I wouldn't dare presume size nor gender demographics) but they'd be too small for someone who wears a men's or women's large or XL. Then again they could vary with purchase and I got lucky with size but unlucky with quantity. Overall this is the better value set I've seen and bought that has quality product and delivers on the provided claims; I would've preferred different packaging so I could order as a gift to send as well. Pictures to follow soon.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024
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Austin Kanode
Belleville, US
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10% of Team Bags Don't Work!
Size: 1000 Hard Sleeves+1000 Soft Sleeves
(Since I wrote this review. The company made things right by sending me 100 cards leaves and 200 top loaders for free so they earned a 5 star) 10% of team bags had the glue peeled off when you removed the plastic cover, so they couldn't close. Besides that, everything else works well!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2026

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