Forget Agincourt, the Norman Conquest of 1066 or any of those historic Anglo-Gallic conflicts. This was the big one: the cross-Channel battle of the beauties.
Two fashion events in Paris and London on succeeding days and on the same couture theme brought out glamorous gowns and contesting celebrities.
First came Dior's 60th anniversary in the house's Paris heartland - the culmination of a year of star-studded events (not least at Versailles in the summer) and of museum shows. To celebrate the streamlined luxe of its Avenue Montaigne store, made over by Peter Marino in a collaboration with modern artists, the luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault was host of a soirée as magnificent as it was intimate. With pink roses spilling over tables and Sharon Stone dressed in Dior (and with a new feathery, short hairdo), the evening was at the height of haute couture.
But on Tuesday, the Victoria & Albert Museum celebrated its exhibition of Dior and the New Look, and fired a riposte. While the French had Elton John in private concert and a rock 'n' roll Yohji Yamamoto coat, the Brits had Prince sitting at table with his female entourage. He and they were all dressed by Jasmine di Milo, the designer daughter of the Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed, while his other daughter Camilla was in Versace and the sexy high heels of Christian Louboutin, who Channel-hopped to do both parties. So did Laudomia Pucci, who saw Thandie Newton, just off to New York to promote her new movie "Run, Fat Boy, Run," wearing a skinny, fiery-colored dress from the Pucci designer Matthew Williamson.
While the elegance quotient was definitely in Paris - with the burlesque performance artist Dita Von Teese in her trademark black and white and the Comtesse Jacqueline de Ribes superb in a vintage Dior gown - London won on the wild side. There was a paparazzi frenzy as Jemima Khan waved the key to the silvered "chastity belt" on her Dolce & Gabbana dress. Dior scored a London hit with Elizabeth Hurley's gown and with the Parisian icon Inès de la Fressange in a white John Galliano creation.
Galliano, Dior's British designer, reigned over both events, with the same leopard hat as his crown. But the most dramatic encounter was of the one-time Queen of Punk Vivienne Westwood, wearing a dress of her own design with strategic windows on her skin, with the former Queen of Grunge Courtney Love, with haystack hair above her white and silver Givenchy couture gown. They became instant best friends.
