VCU showing of “Versailles ’73” which captured a fashion revolution on film

The screening will take place on March 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at The Depot, followed by a panel discussion with Draper, designer Stephen Burrows and former model and business owner Pat Cleveland.

March 24, 2016; 11:07 AM • by Richard Hayes

From VCU Press Release:

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, VCU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the VCU Department of Fashion present a film screening and panel discussion of “Versailles ’73,” a documentary written and directed by Deborah Riley Draper.

The screening will take place on March 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at The Depot, followed by a panel discussion with Draper, designer Stephen Burrows and former model and business owner Pat Cleveland. The screening and panel discussion is open to the public, but seats are limited.

“Versailles ’73” tells the story of when American ready-to-wear designers put their fashions on the runway up against French haute couture designers, in front of a royal audience at the Chateau de Versailles that included Andy Warhol, Princess Grace of Monaco and Josephine Baker. The American designers’ secret weapons were fresh, innovative designs and a collective of stunning black models who sashayed down the runway and into the hearts of the high-profile audience, shattering the fashion industry status quo.

“During this monumental event in history, people of color were at the forefront of conversation, models hitting the runway wearing the garments of designers of color,” said Holly Alford, director of diversity and inclusion at VCU School of the Arts and associate professor in the Department of Fashion. “It was a breakthrough moment in the industry. To have Stephen Burrows, Pat Cleveland and Deborah Riley Draper here to tell this story is a great opportunity for our student community to hear about the creative process from successful artists of color.”

Image: Versailles ’73