More legendary than Kim K, more iconic than Lena Situation, more chic than Hailey Bieber, Princess Diana continues to impose her elegance on social networks, notably with the account Ladyrevengelooks. Created by the Englishwoman Eloise Moran, author of the book The Lady Di Look Book (not translated in France), this Instagram account regularly publishes the Princess’s most beautiful looks after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1992. Her short, figure-hugging dresses, monochrome fitted suits and sports outfits continue to collecting thousands of Likes, more than 16 years after his death. Series The Crown is perhaps no stranger to this return of hype even if the Princess of Wales has never really left the minds of fashionistas and creators.
But before becoming a fashion icon, Diana had to free herself from the codes and aesthetic criteria of her environment. “Diana comes from an aristocratic background and throughout her youth wore prim and ultra-classic clothes such as frilled or ruffled shirts,” explains Caroline Lazard, editorial manager at the magazine. Point of view, “she has freed herself over the years to break her self-conscious family girl side and embrace her body with sexy necklines and skirts revealing her legs.” To the point of overdoing it upon entering the conservative world of crowned heads? An anecdote that she herself told during her interviews with journalist Andrew Morton for her biography confirms her early audacity. Prince Charles was reportedly extremely shocked by the black dress she wore during her first royal engagement, a charity concert, on March 9, 1981. The reason? Black is reserved for funerals and cannot be worn on other occasions. The first “misstep” heralding a revolution in the royal wardrobe. Because Diana “brought a breath of fresh air into the royal family,” adds Caroline Lazard. If Princess Margaret, the queen’s sister, was described as a rebellious princess, it’s nothing compared to what Diana dared in terms of looks. Which other princess has been seen in a swimsuit or mini shorts before her? Because since then, whether in Sweden or in Spain, women from royal lines have followed in the footsteps of the Princess of Wales.
Designer Jacquemus and Princess Kate Middleton perpetuate his style
It was the end of his story with the future King Charles III which marked a turning point in the affirmation of his style, thus emancipating himself from the rigid shackles of royalty. “Princess Diana knew that the spotlight was on her and she used her outfits as marketing tools in a way to promote herself and continue to appear in the press to remain popular with the general public,” adds Caroline Lazard. A method that no influencer on social networks would deny in 2023! But what remains of Lady Di’s style today? “Princess Kate Middleton uses winks and references to her illustrious mother-in-law sparingly. We remember, for example, the polka dot dress she wore when leaving the maternity ward during the birth of Prince George, which looked very similar to that of Diana during the presentation of Prince William. But she pays tribute in small ways and wants to avoid comparison at all costs. »
Crowned heads are not the only ones to claim Princess Diana’s influence. Thus, last June, the French designer Jacquemus presented his Le Chouchou collection in Versailles, inspired by Lady Di and Marie-Antoinette. The idea of the collection was to “mix Lady Diana and Marie-Antoinette” and make something modern out of “this bizarre association,” Jacquemus explained to AFP after the show. “I was always obsessed with Lady Di and I started collecting magazines from the 1990s, covers of Vogue,” he explained. A white dress with black polka dots as well as silhouettes from the 1980s of suits and bombers were “nods” to her “favorite modern princess”. Outfits that he made Kendall Jenner, the model who has nearly 300 million subscribers on Instagram, wear. A shock ambassador to continue to bring Diana’s elegance to life among the youngest.
3 Diana Outfits That Would Have Broke the Internet
It was the green Versace dress that Jennifer Lopez wore during the Grammy Awards in 2000 that is said to be at the origin of the creation of Google Images. But we bet it’s Diana who would have attracted all the looks and clicks if she had survived into the 21st century.
The ugly sweater
You can be the queen of style and enjoy the ugly Christmas sweater party with your work colleagues like everyone else. Just after her engagement, Diana Spencer wore this red sweater with white sheep patterns, with the exception of a black one, during a polo match attended by Prince Charles in June 1981, making an impression with her relaxed attitude. . On September 14, this sweater was sold for more than $1.1 million on Thursday at Sotheby’s after a fierce Internet auction battle, making it the most expensive sweater in history.
The slip dress
In 1996, invited by Anna Wintour, Lady Di participated for the first and only time in her life, at the MET Gala, that is to say The place to be for all those who count in the world of fashion and design. culture. She appears there in a silk dress signed Alexander McQueen, the star designer who has just joined the house of Dior. While the divorce from Charles has not yet been announced, the princess dares to appear in an ultra-light, low-cut dress, like a nightgown, thus shattering all the codes of formal outfits.
The revenge dress
If a dress manages to have a name, it is because it has remained in the annals. Princess Diana took this dress out of her closet on June 29, 1994, that is to say the same evening that Prince Charles’ interview with journalist Jonathan Dimbleby was broadcast on television and in which he admitted his infidelity. With this neckline and her ostentatious jewelry, Lady Di clearly sent him this message: this is what you are losing! Since then, many people have also used the revenge dress method, like Rihanna or Kate Moss.