Blog Post Twelve
Battle of Versailles, 1973
What do Halston, Paris, and the ancient Greeks have in common?
In 1973, the Americans fought against the French on a rather unusual battlefield - the runway. If you’ve watched the Netflix series, “Halston,” you already get where I’m going. The brain child of Eleanor Lambert, mother of NYFW, in partnership with the curator of the Versailles, this was an opportunity for American designers to showcase their talents. Relative newcomers such as Halston, Anne Klein, and Oscar de la Renta pitted their work against the better known French designers including Yves St Laurent and du Givenchy. As you may have guessed, the Americans won. The landmark event was publicized and memorialized as the “Battle of Versailles.”
A very similar battle took place three years later in 1976, this time the battleground of choice being the vineyard. The world of horticulture exploded when American wines from the Napa Valley won against French varietals in a blind taste test - the panel consisting of all French judges, no less! (For another movie reference, check out “Bottle Shock.”) This momentous occasion became known as the “Judgement of Paris.”
The very name “Judgement of Paris” pays homage to Greek mythology. According to myth, the mortal Paris was forced to choose between three goddesses (Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera) which was the most beautiful. Aphrodite, later known as Venus, offered to “give” to Paris as a bribe the legendary Helen of Troy, married to King Menelaus. Thus the seeds of the Trojan War were sown. Eh voila - we have linked together ancient Greece, Paris, and Halston!
On a personal note, I’ve been struggling with my own internal battle and have finally made the choice to part ways with Neiman Marcus. It was a tough decision, to say the least! Simply put, it wasn’t exactly as glamorous as I thought it would be when I set my sights on entering the elusive world of Fashion. But not to worry - the blog continues, and I’ll still be doing my thang on IG!
A la prochain, my lovely readers.
