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The late Diana, Princess of Wales was one of the world’s most extraordinary and rare beauties. A woman adored by her public, she was known as the ‘Peoples Princess.’ It was her kind, warm and charitable nature that endeared her to people all around the world, but it is her stunning elegance and class that precede her. When you think of Princess Diana many iconic images of her wearing charming and beautiful clothing play out in our memories. But have you ever wondered what one of the world’s most striking women considered her favourite dress?
A modest blue dress designed by David Sassoon, made from Crepe-de-Chine and featuring a floral pattern in an array of vibrant colours, was the dress that held a special place in Diana’s heart, her wardrobe and in the press.
Diana, who had a knack for dressing for the occasion, wore the dress on several hospital visits for her charity work. She felt the colours of the garment where cheerful and made the patients, particularly the children, feel better. Often the Princess faced criticism from the press for wearing the dress; who deemed it not suitable attire for Royal Business. But according to Diana it made the sick and suffering children connect with her, and for a woman who treasured children above all material possessions, that was the most important thing of all. So despite criticism Princess Diana refused to bow to pressure and continued to wear the dress as long as the children continued to smile.
David Sassoon, creator of the Caring Dress, as it has come to be known, designed more than 70 outfits for the Princess and in his new book The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon we can see, for the first time, the Princess’s thank you note for the dress and her handwritten comments on the original sketches. David Sassoon spoke out recently to the Telegraph about the Princess choice to wear the blue dress, saying “She would say ‘I keep being told not to wear it, but I love this dress, my caring dress’. Of course Diana was the first member of the Royal family to break all the rules,”
The Princess was known for her caring nature and her beauty, but perhaps it is her simplicity and her utter refusal to back down on the things she believed in, that allow her to live on so vividly in the public memory even today.
Here at MSL we are extremely excited and proud to announce that on the 4th of February Maggie Semple will be holding a special Semple Secrets event at the Southbank Centre where David Sassoon will be among our celebrity guest panel. This is the chance to hear the tales from the man who dressed Diana. This truly is a once in a life time experience to go further Behind the Seams with the man himself.
Sophie Maguire
