That '70s Show: Robin Givhan Lands Deal for Book on Famed Versailles Runway Showdown

In one corner, you had the American upstarts: Anne Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Halston, and Stephen Burrows. In another corner were the French fashion gods: Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, and Pierre Cardin. This scene played out not in a boxing ring but on a runway inside the gilded walls of Versailles in November 1973, when an elite crowd gathered for the “Grand Divertissement à Versailles.” Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum hosted a luncheon to honor models—including Pat Cleveland and China Machado—who walked in the controversial runway showdown, and now comes word that Robin Givhan (pictured) is writing a book about the event.