Princess Diana's 'sensuous' lace slip dress surprised designer John Galliano

Laura Sutcliffe
·2-min read
Princess Diana wearing pearl jewellery set and a Catherine Walker dress at a Gala concert hall in Melbourne, Australia, 14th April 1983.
Princess Diana wearing pearl jewellery set and a Catherine Walker dress at a Gala concert hall in Melbourne, Australia, 14th April 1983. (Getty)

We are really enjoying watching the new Disney+ documentary In Vogue: The 90s. It has a whole host of famous faces on it, from Kim Kardashian to Victoria Beckham.

Episode two saw iconic designer John Galliano speak about his meteoric rise to cult status, and the moments that put him on the fashion map. In particular, the 63-year-old recalls his time dressing the late Diana Princess of Wales for the MET Gala in 1996, and it's a pretty fascinating story.

The designer recalled: "I remember one day we all jumped into this old van, and we went to London, where we met Princess Diana. She'd been invited to the Met, and she would wear one of my dresses."

John Galliano attends a drinks reception ahead of The Fashion Awards 2017 in partnership with Swarovski at Royal Albert Hall on December 4, 2017 in London, England.
John Galliano appeared on new Disney+ documentary In Vogue: The 90s (Getty)

The former creative director of Givenchy added: "It was like a blessing. I mean, wow. We went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings, and I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. 'No, not pink!' That was real, real fun."

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Recalling details from the fitting, John explained that a corset was added to the stunning couture creation he designed for her. "So we did the dress and subsequent fittings, and it was beautifully done - you know, very kind of correct. You know, the corset - everything was correct. Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car. I was like [shock]. I couldn't believe it. She'd ripped the corset out."

Princess Diana attends Met Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on January 1, 1995 in New York City.
Diana removed her corset at the MET gala in 1996 (Getty)

The mother of Prince William and Prince Harry had made the navy blue look her own, and John, like the rest of the world, was in awe. "She didn't want to wear the corset. She felt so liberated, she'd torn the corset out. The dress was much more sensuous. The cameras went mental. The paparazzi was blinding, which made the dress really bling and the jewels and everything."

Diana Princess of Wales arrive's at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York for the Costume Institute Ball
Diana wore Dior couture by John Galliano at the famous event (Getty)

Diana's dress was a relatively simple, slip style, crafted in a wonderful, midnight blue shade. It had delicate lacing, and the silk material cascaded over her frame perfectly.

The iconic style was actually part of the fashion designer's very first couture collection for Dior, and having Princess Diana wear it was the very best way to launch it!

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