Features — October 2025

—Susan Goodwin

Now, here is my story, 52 years later, from the perspective of a student in Paris who was part of this historical event. In 1973 and 1974 there was no internet, no text messaging, no smart phones, no email. The expression online did not exist. As graduate students at New York University in Paris, all we had to keep us up-to-date were the BBC and the International Herald Tribune. French newspapers were still a bit advanced for us. My two roommates and I had no idea we would be participating in what later would be known as The Battle of Versailles.

After teaching French for several years, I made a career change. I remembered with great fondness the year I lived in Paris but never actually looked up anything about what now is called The Battle of Versailles until I started teaching French for OLLI. I remembered this event and looked it up on YouTube. To my astonishment there were several videos, interviews with the remaining models who are still living and Steven Burrows, who is the only designer still living. Even books had been written about this event!

A friend and I who both studied French at the University of Colorado decided to enroll in New York University’s graduate program in Paris. I moved to Paris in September 1973. My roommate, however, had moved to Paris in the summer to take a course. She rented a room in a building where an expat, Harold, from the United States had been living for years. They became friends and stayed in touch after she moved into an apartment with another American student and me.

In November, 1973, she was contacted by Harold with a proposal for a short-term job for us. The top American designers were coming to Paris for the first time for what was called a fundraiser with the top French designers. The fundraiser was to help with the restoration of the Palace of Versailles, which had fallen into disrepair. The fashion show turned out to be a competition. And this fundraiser turned out to be an historical event that over the last 52 years has been termed the Battle of Versailles.

Harold, my roommate’s friend, was a friend of the American designer Anne Klein. Anne had contacted Harold to ask if he could find three American girls to dress and undress her models for the show. It was important that her models could communicate in American English with the girls that dressed them. Harold contacted Jessica and we were hired to work for Anne Klein for three days.

I remember taking the train in the afternoon to the Palace of Versailles from Avenue Foch where we had been living. The ride was probably twenty-five minutes from our apartment. It was chilly and gray, and when we got to the palace, there was no heat in it. There was no way to get something hot to drink to warm up. The French were not very accommodating to their American guests, and they used the better part of the day to practice. The Americans also had some challenges in that any backdrops or scenes that had been created for them could not be used, because they were developed using inches instead of metric measurements. The Americans brought their own music and — believe it or not — used a cassette player hooked up to speakers.

The anxiety was very high; there seemed to be a lot of disorganization, and at one point one of the American designers dropped out, but did return the next day.

My two friends and I were tasked with dressing and accessorizing the models for an Anne Klein fashion show. Our responsibilities included ensuring that the models were dressed, undressed, and then redressed efficiently, while also adding earrings and other accessories to complete their looks. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and a hint of anxiety. The models were impressively tall, standing at heights of 5’10” to 6′, which posed an additional challenge, given that the three of us were around 5’4″. I recall in my haste, I unfortunately overlooked adding earrings to one of my models, yet she still looked sensational.

The show featured Barry White’s Love’s Theme from the Love Unlimited album, which filled the historic theater with exhilarating energy. We felt immense pride in our models as they captivated the audience. While the French models exhibited a more traditional and conservative demeanor, the American models exuded high energy, grace, and confidence as they strode across the stage. The French audience was visibly impressed, displaying an enthusiasm that contrasted with their typically reserved character. Attendees included members of European aristocracy, who stood, tossed their programs into the air, and applauded in approval. The response to our American models was unprecedented, challenging the conservative expectations often associated with French fashion. We felt an overwhelming sense of pride as the Americans claimed their rightful place in the fashion industry.

From stage wings we were able to watch world famous performers, such as Rudolph Nureyev, Josephine Baker and Liza Minnelli. Liza Minnelli was only five years older than we were, so we met with her and hung out in her dressing room. In essence she was just another young person who was nervous before she had to go on stage. Her performance of the title number from Cabaret, as well as her mother, Judy Garland‘s song, Over the Rainbow, brought the house down.

We worked for three days, and then resumed our lives in Paris never really knowing what historical impact this would have. We were able to find a short article in the American Herald Tribune and were thrilled that it had hit the newspapers. Fifty-two years went by before I realized that so much information about this event can now be found on the Internet.

After the event we found our way to found Anne Klein‘s hotel address and showed up at her door to be paid the agreed-upon $300. I recently learned that $300 in 1973 would be equivalent to approximately $2500 today. A few months later, Anne Klein passed away from cancer. This was her last major contribution to the world of fashion and design.

We were just kids and so lucky to have the opportunity to study French in Paris in 1973. This event was a cultural watershed moment for the American fashion design industry.

For a deeper dive into this event, you can access a one-hour 2016 documentary narrated by Stanley Tucci, including interviews of models and surviving designers as well as an indepth article written by model, Pat Cleveland. — Editor

Susan Goodwin’s lifelong relationship with the French language and culture led her to major in French at the University of Colorado, and continued during several periods of study in Bordeaux, France and in Paris, where she ultimately earned a master’s in French Language through NYU. After teaching French in secondary school and adult education programs for several years, she transitioned to a second career in management with CIGNA Healthcare. Susan has traveled extensively, often returning to France, including a memorable 50-year reunion with former classmates from Bordeaux. Susan teaches French language and culture for OLLI, finding inspiration in encouraging others to embrace new languages and experiences.