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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The unexpected designer behind Princess Diana's rise to global style icon - despite a rocky start
Princess Diana understood the powerful message clothing could convey – most memorably illustrated by her bold entrance at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994. On the same night Prince Charles publicly admitted to infidelity, Diana stunned in a daring off-the-shoulder black dress by Christina Stambolian, an ensemble that would go down in history as the iconic 'revenge dress'. Throughout her life, Diana had a deep appreciation for British fashion, with a special fondness for David and Elizabeth Emanuel (creators of her wedding gown), Catherine Walker (who designed the dress she was buried in), Bruce Oldfield and Jenny Packham. Yet her style evolution began with a lesser-known name: David Sassoon, who passed away on April 9 at the age of 92. As co-founder of Bellville Sassoon, alongside Belinda Bellville, David played a key role in transforming Diana from a shy Sloane ranger into an international fashion icon. Her loyalty to him was unwavering – he designed over 70 gowns for her between 1981 and her untimely death in 1997. David was behind many memorable looks, including the ten dresses Diana selected for her honeymoon with Charles, as well as her peach going-away suit, worn as she boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia en route to Gibraltar. However, their partnership had a rocky start. Just days before her engagement was announced in 1981, Diana visited the Bellville Sassoon studio in Knightsbridge – and the reception she received was far from warm. The studio's formidable French vendeuse was unimpressed by the teenage girl browsing clothing far too sophisticated – and likely too expensive – for her. She coolly suggested that 'madam' might have better luck shopping at Harrods. Diana promptly left, feeling rather embarrassed. Only later did David and Belinda discover from another assistant that the young woman bore a striking resemblance to Lady Diana Spencer. 'We nearly had a fit,' David recalled. Fortunately, the situation was salvaged by Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, who was not so easily deterred. Although Diana wore a blue Cojana suit from Harrods for her engagement announcement, it was her mother who brought her back to Bellville Sassoon to commission her wedding trousseau – securing a relationship that would become a cornerstone of the royal's style legacy. Diana chose a sailor suit from the studio's ready-to-wear collection for her first official portrait with Charles and Queen Elizabeth. After that, it was all couture. 'She was a joy to dress. She could wear any colour and look wonderful,' David previously told You Magazine. 'Some of the royal ladies could be difficult but Diana would always send little thank-you notes or twirl around saying, "They're going to love this!" She really was a delight.' Before working with Diana, David had dressed every royal lady – except the Queen – along with a host of stars, including Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Helen Mirren and Jackie Kennedy. Created by David in 1988, this floral dress became known as Diana's 'caring dress' because she often wore it to meet children. She decided against wearing the matching hat, telling the designer it wasn't possible to cuddle a child in a hat Princess Diana wearing a Bellville Sassoon maternity coat for a royal engagement in Huddersfield in 1982 Despite the formalities required when addressing a royal, Diana always made the conversation personal. 'She was always asking, "What have you been doing, what have you seen?" David said. They shared a love for ballet and often bonded over it. 'There were times when I'd be quite fraught and she'd pat the sofa beside her and say, "Now, what's the problem? Sit down and have a cup of tea." 'She was good at listening to your woes but she rarely opened up about her own.' Diana's style broke with tradition. She frequently skipped gloves, sometimes went without hats, and was the first royal woman to regularly wear trousers. She enjoyed surprising people and expressing herself through her wardrobe. Among the standout pieces David created for her were a glittering gown for the State Opening of Parliament and a red coat with statement stitching, worn on the day she announced her pregnancy with Prince William. Diana was highly engaged in the design process, returning sketches with handwritten notes like 'Yes, please!' or 'Please could I have this one without the high collar and bow?' She always followed up a delivery with a thoughtful gift or a note of thanks. On paper, David and Diana made an unlikely alliance: he was the son of Iraqi-Jewish immigrants, she was the daughter of an earl. He was nearly 30 years her senior and several inches shorter in stature, but he had an eye for elegance and his résumé was unparalleled. Diana wore a glamorous off-the-shoulder dress by Bellville Sassoon to a concert at the Barbican in 1989 The Princess dazzled in a Bellville Sassoon evening gown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1981 On the day she announced her first pregnancy with Prince William in 1981, Diana wore a striking Bellville Sassoon coat, incorporating statement stitching and a fringed trim. She continued to favour the designer throughout both pregnancies David Sassoon and Belinda Bellville pictured in their Knightsbridge store in 1981. David passed away on April 9 at the age of 92 As she found her style footing, Diana grew to depend on David – both as her designer and a trusted confidant in the often stifling world of palace life. David officially retired in 2012 but remained involved in fashion, curating a retrospective of his work at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey. Since then, his designs have featured in numerous exhibitions, most recently Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style at the Museum of London Docklands in 2023.
North Wales Chronicle
03-06-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Clothing sale will be ‘largest Princess Diana auction ever'
Julien's Auctions' Princess Diana's Style And A Royal Collection live sale will take place on Thursday June 26 and will include clothing worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, with the aim of celebrating her style and preserving her legacy. Items include a silk floral printed day dress designed by Bellville Sassoon, estimated to fetch between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars (£148,000 to £222,000), and an embroidered evening gown, designed by Catherine Walker, with the same estimated selling price. Martin Nolan, co-founder of Julien's Auctions, told the PA news agency: 'This is the largest Princess Diana auction ever. Diana herself did an auction in 1997 to raise money for charity, sadly two months before we tragically lost Diana. 'So now we have over 100 items representing her amazing life and her career, and of course, she's the mum of the future king of England, Prince William, so we have really iconic outfits. 'Diana was a style icon, she knew what to wear, when to wear it, what was appropriate, she knew how to send a message by what she was wearing. 'She was very shy, but she knew by the items of clothing, it became sort of her uniform if you will and, of course, with all the amazing power suits you see behind me, the message she sent. 'She knew how to dress when she went on a royal visit to Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates, and when she was going to a hospital, she knew to wear bright colours that sick children would feel that she was likeable, huggable, approachable, and she brought hope wherever she went.' Up for auction will be a collection of clothes and artefacts from British royal history, including items that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and other members of the royal family, some dating as far back as the 19th century. Nolan said the market for items relating to Diana had increased thanks to Netflix series The Crown. He said: 'The Crown certainly has introduced Diana to a whole new younger generation, and they relate to her and they love her, and they love her style, they love her innocence, they love her sense of fun. 'They love her messaging, and they love what she had to live through, the challenges she had to deal with, and she overcame them all, and so it's a success story. 'Sad ending, of course, but like the younger generation loved that, and that's why Diana's prices have been impacted so much, and are increasing more and more.' Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed a number of items of clothing for Diana, including her wedding dress, said: 'When Diana first came to us for all of these dresses, she didn't have a lot of ideas of her own, because fashion wasn't her number one subject 'She didn't really take much of an interest in it, and we were very lucky to have been involved with her at the beginning, when she was developing her own style. 'And then over the years, you could see her being more and more confident in what she was wearing and knowing her own style, so we were very lucky to have been there in the formative years.' Julien's Auctions held a sale of Diana's items last year, billed as the most extensive collection of Diana's personal belongings since 1997. The auction house previously sold one of Diana's gowns for 1.14 million US dollars (£843,000) and a pair of her shoes for 390,000 US dollars (£288,000). The live auction will take place at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California, in the US, on Thursday June 26. A portion of the sale of the Diana items will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Leader Live
03-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Clothing sale will be ‘largest Princess Diana auction ever'
Julien's Auctions' Princess Diana's Style And A Royal Collection live sale will take place on Thursday June 26 and will include clothing worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, with the aim of celebrating her style and preserving her legacy. Items include a silk floral printed day dress designed by Bellville Sassoon, estimated to fetch between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars (£148,000 to £222,000), and an embroidered evening gown, designed by Catherine Walker, with the same estimated selling price. Martin Nolan, co-founder of Julien's Auctions, told the PA news agency: 'This is the largest Princess Diana auction ever. Diana herself did an auction in 1997 to raise money for charity, sadly two months before we tragically lost Diana. 'So now we have over 100 items representing her amazing life and her career, and of course, she's the mum of the future king of England, Prince William, so we have really iconic outfits. 'Diana was a style icon, she knew what to wear, when to wear it, what was appropriate, she knew how to send a message by what she was wearing. 'She was very shy, but she knew by the items of clothing, it became sort of her uniform if you will and, of course, with all the amazing power suits you see behind me, the message she sent. 'She knew how to dress when she went on a royal visit to Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates, and when she was going to a hospital, she knew to wear bright colours that sick children would feel that she was likeable, huggable, approachable, and she brought hope wherever she went.' Up for auction will be a collection of clothes and artefacts from British royal history, including items that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and other members of the royal family, some dating as far back as the 19th century. Nolan said the market for items relating to Diana had increased thanks to Netflix series The Crown. He said: 'The Crown certainly has introduced Diana to a whole new younger generation, and they relate to her and they love her, and they love her style, they love her innocence, they love her sense of fun. 'They love her messaging, and they love what she had to live through, the challenges she had to deal with, and she overcame them all, and so it's a success story. 'Sad ending, of course, but like the younger generation loved that, and that's why Diana's prices have been impacted so much, and are increasing more and more.' Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed a number of items of clothing for Diana, including her wedding dress, said: 'When Diana first came to us for all of these dresses, she didn't have a lot of ideas of her own, because fashion wasn't her number one subject 'She didn't really take much of an interest in it, and we were very lucky to have been involved with her at the beginning, when she was developing her own style. 'And then over the years, you could see her being more and more confident in what she was wearing and knowing her own style, so we were very lucky to have been there in the formative years.' Julien's Auctions held a sale of Diana's items last year, billed as the most extensive collection of Diana's personal belongings since 1997. The auction house previously sold one of Diana's gowns for 1.14 million US dollars (£843,000) and a pair of her shoes for 390,000 US dollars (£288,000). The live auction will take place at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California, in the US, on Thursday June 26. A portion of the sale of the Diana items will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK.
South Wales Guardian
03-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Clothing sale will be ‘largest Princess Diana auction ever'
Julien's Auctions' Princess Diana's Style And A Royal Collection live sale will take place on Thursday June 26 and will include clothing worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, with the aim of celebrating her style and preserving her legacy. Items include a silk floral printed day dress designed by Bellville Sassoon, estimated to fetch between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars (£148,000 to £222,000), and an embroidered evening gown, designed by Catherine Walker, with the same estimated selling price. Martin Nolan, co-founder of Julien's Auctions, told the PA news agency: 'This is the largest Princess Diana auction ever. Diana herself did an auction in 1997 to raise money for charity, sadly two months before we tragically lost Diana. 'So now we have over 100 items representing her amazing life and her career, and of course, she's the mum of the future king of England, Prince William, so we have really iconic outfits. 'Diana was a style icon, she knew what to wear, when to wear it, what was appropriate, she knew how to send a message by what she was wearing. 'She was very shy, but she knew by the items of clothing, it became sort of her uniform if you will and, of course, with all the amazing power suits you see behind me, the message she sent. 'She knew how to dress when she went on a royal visit to Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates, and when she was going to a hospital, she knew to wear bright colours that sick children would feel that she was likeable, huggable, approachable, and she brought hope wherever she went.' Up for auction will be a collection of clothes and artefacts from British royal history, including items that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and other members of the royal family, some dating as far back as the 19th century. Nolan said the market for items relating to Diana had increased thanks to Netflix series The Crown. He said: 'The Crown certainly has introduced Diana to a whole new younger generation, and they relate to her and they love her, and they love her style, they love her innocence, they love her sense of fun. 'They love her messaging, and they love what she had to live through, the challenges she had to deal with, and she overcame them all, and so it's a success story. 'Sad ending, of course, but like the younger generation loved that, and that's why Diana's prices have been impacted so much, and are increasing more and more.' Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed a number of items of clothing for Diana, including her wedding dress, said: 'When Diana first came to us for all of these dresses, she didn't have a lot of ideas of her own, because fashion wasn't her number one subject 'She didn't really take much of an interest in it, and we were very lucky to have been involved with her at the beginning, when she was developing her own style. 'And then over the years, you could see her being more and more confident in what she was wearing and knowing her own style, so we were very lucky to have been there in the formative years.' Julien's Auctions held a sale of Diana's items last year, billed as the most extensive collection of Diana's personal belongings since 1997. The auction house previously sold one of Diana's gowns for 1.14 million US dollars (£843,000) and a pair of her shoes for 390,000 US dollars (£288,000). The live auction will take place at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California, in the US, on Thursday June 26. A portion of the sale of the Diana items will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Fashion United
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion United
Garments of Princess Diana to be auctioned
Los Angeles (dpa) - A bright red ski suit, an elegant evening gown, a pink hat: numerous gowns and other memorabilia belonging to Princess Diana (1961-1997) are to be auctioned in Beverly Hills, California, at the end of June. Highlights of the auction include a cream-coloured evening gown by designer Catherine Walker from 1986 (estimated price 200,000 to 300,000 dollars) and a floral dress from the fashion house Bellville Sassoon from 1988 (estimated price up to 200,000 dollars). Ski suit and evening gown A scarlet ski suit from the Princess's wardrobe is estimated by the auction house Julien's at 30,000 to 50,000 dollars. Among the fashion pieces is also a pink hat by designer John Boyd, which Diana wore on her honeymoon after her wedding in 1981. A sketch of the iconic wedding dress, designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, is also up for auction, along with fabric samples. Royal memorabilia More than 300 items of memorabilia are to be auctioned in Beverly Hills on June 26, including personal items belonging to the British Royal Family. An antique bracelet made of diamonds, pearls and gemstones, which once belonged to Princess Margaret (1930-2002), has an estimated value of up to 100,000 dollars. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Diana's memorabilia will go to charitable causes. The mother of British Princes William and Harry died in a car accident in Paris on the night of August 31, 1997 at the age of 36. (DPA) This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
