Diana - Princess of Wales by Mario Testino

The tartan wool day suit was not well received by critics who didn't find it flattering. A coat and skirt in green, blue and black was cut in the boxy shape in favor at the time. She looked resplendent in the outfit, topping it with a jeweled tiara.ĭiana turned to Emanuel, designer of her wedding gown, for a 1985 official royal visit to Italy. Its sparkly look, and high collar, reminded fashion writers of the jump suits favored by Elvis Presley late in his career. To prepare for an official visit to Hong Kong in 1989, she designed a strapless white silk crepe and jacket embroidered with sequins and pearls. It remains one of her most famous outfits.Ĭatherine Walker, who died in 2010, became one of Diana's favorite designers.

Photographers of Diana and the dashing young Travolta dominated newspapers throughout the world, showcasing the midnight blue silk velvet evening dress designed by Victor Edelstein. Read also: Harry 'constantly in trouble,' Princess Diana letter saysĭANCING THE NIGHT AWAY, WITH JOHN TRAVOLTA.ĭiana was married to Prince Charles, and a guest of President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, but that didn't stop her from tearing up the dance floor with John Travolta at a White House state dinner in 1985. The display opens with a lacy party dress Diana wore to a ball at her family home, Althorp, in 1979 and includes many of her most famous outfits. 'She got her image across and her ideas across using clothing in a really sophisticated, really smart, really thoughtful way.'

'Somehow women all over the world saw a piece of themselves in the princess,' the curator said.

She said Diana captured the 'mystique' of being a princess even as she occasionally dressed down in jeans and a baseball hat. One room features designers' sketches for Diana dresses, offering insight into the vision behind many of her choices.ĭeirdre Murphy, senior curator at the Historic Royal Palaces, said Diana was unique in the way she used clothes to communicate - and also a risk-taker willing to challenge the unwritten conventions of royal dress. Read also: Princess Diana statue to mark 20 years since car crash death

Diana - Princess of Wales by Mario Testino