On November 28, 1973, the world’s social elite—men in dashing tuxedos and women dripping with diamonds—gathered in the majestic Théâtre Gabriel at the Palace of Versailles. Originally conceived as a publicity stunt and fund-raiser for the dilapidated French landmark, the Grand Divertissement à Versailles had become an international fashion extravaganza, bloated with pomp and passion. Style writers and society columnists; royalty, tycoons, diplomats, and politicians; the crème de la crème of the jet set; stagehands, set designers, burlesque dancers, ballet stars, drag queens, glamorous models, famous choreographers, and one Academy Award–winning triple threat all watched in eager anticipation as five kings of French fashion faced off against five unsung American designers. By the time the spotlight dimmed and the curtain came down on the evening’s spectacle, fashion history had been made and an industry had been forever transformed.