Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer explains how she transformed royals from ‘sweet’ to global fashion icons like Kate
Ruben B. Hughes
5 min read
THE PRINCESS Diana was the most photographed woman in the world.
No matter what she wore, whether it was a baseball cap or a sweatshirt, people wanted it for themselves.
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It’s the same with the Royal Family now, but Diana was the first to be a style icon.
She hasn’t always been comfortable with fashion. At first there were some mistakes, but when she started working with designers like Versace and Catherine Walker, she got on the right track.
To this day, as we approach what would have been her 60th birthday on July 1, many designers are taking inspiration from the princess. It’s something you see on the catwalks all the time – a subtle silhouette or something more obvious.
She was a pioneer and even today celebrities pay tribute to her style.
The pink set
ROYALS must choose a color that stands out.
If Diana had appeared in beige, you wouldn’t have noticed her, and no one wants an invisible princess.
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Pink is the perfect choice for Diana. He is daring and suits him wonderfully.
The pillbox hat is reminiscent of Jackie Onassis in the 1960s.
And that hemline – you’ve never seen royals with a skirt above the knee before Diana. She was young and fresh and took it away.
Watch today’s celebrities embrace the so-called ‘millennial pink’ like Hailey Bieber here at a party in Los Angeles.
Diana made it cool before millennials.
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Mom jeans
This look was the one Diana used a lot for the school run.
She would hand the boys over to the principal in the morning and get back into the car.
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Part of it was probably her wish to be incognito – often people didn’t even realize it was the princess.
She was a cool mom doing her own thing and it helped women realize that they didn’t need to dress all the time.
The royals always dressed in private, but Diana had the guts to wear this look – she didn’t care. In this photo, she is in Bosnia.
These days people like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wear mom jeans everywhere – Diana started this.
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The little black dress
THE little black dress changed everything.
The sleek design and the slit in her skirt – no one had ever seen a royal look like this. It was truly revolutionary.
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Suddenly Diana was like a movie star, she looked amazing.
Of course, now almost all women have a little black pitfall.
But the princess gave such a simple dress such power for all women around the world. It was such an amazing time.
Victoria Beckham was Posh Spice in her black dresses in the 90s, but Diana led the way.
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Cycling shorts
ON, like the Kim Kardashian cycling shorts, is big news, but it all started with Diana.
I love this photo, it is fabulous.
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This look started in LA with movie stars wearing them, then Diana wore cycling shorts to make it to the gym.
You’ve never seen this before, and you’ve certainly never seen it on a royal.
Everyone was talking about it – “Have you seen it?” – and the trend continues today.
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Statement necklaces
SHE wore a lot of cream or ivory necklaces as it looks very flattering – these shades reflect the light, giving you glowing skin.
Regardless of the shape of her collar or cleavage, it would have sparked another rampage of fashion madness because people wanted to share a bit of Diana’s magic.
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I don’t think we’ve ever seen a Polka Dot Royal before either.
Today you see everyone in statement necklaces. Holly Willoughby is a huge fan.
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Ranger Sloane
At first, Diana was very shy. She was only 19 and a kindergarten teacher, so she wore soft, gathered blouses, cardigans and skirts, often with ballet flats and a pearl necklace.
She was what we would have called at the time a typical Sloane Ranger.
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Nowadays you can’t escape these kinds of outfits, they have become so popular, and you can see Amanda Holden is happy to channel the look.
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Puff sleeves
THIS style, loved by Maya Jama, was another trend that started with Diana in the ’80s.
I remember this photo well. It was taken during an early polo match.
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The smart thing about this is that the more you dress your top half, the tinier the waist looks.
She paired it with a simple white linen skirt and a black belt for a very relaxed weekend look. It wouldn’t seem out of place at a similar event or on the red carpet today.
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