2013 marks the fortieth anniversary of Le Grand Divertissement è Versailles, the runway battle royal
that took place in 1973 between French fashion houses (Givenchy, Dior,
Ungaro, Yves Saint Laurent, and Pierre Cardin) and American designers
(Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, and Bill
Blass). Held as a fundraiser to restore the palace, the evening was
attended by everyone from Andy Warhol to Princess Grace of Monaco, and,
in addition to a bevy of couture, featured performances by the likes of
Liza Minnelli and Josephine Baker (above).But aside from being, perhaps, the most epic runway spectacle to date, Versailles marked the first time African-American models took a prominent place on the European fashion stage. Last night, in honor of the anniversary, and in celebration of Women’s History Month, the Fashion Institute of Technology hosted a screening of Deborah Riley Draper’s 2012 documentary, Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution. And the historic event’s stars, like Pat Cleveland (below, right), Billie Blair, Norma Jean Darden, and Bethann Hardison, among others, turned out for the film and a lively panel discussion.
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