Daywear and dresses of a stylish princess
Looks at Diana: Her Fashion Story, an exhibition at Kensington Palace
ANEW exhibition celebrating the life of Diana, Princess of Wales and looking at the clothes she wore which made her a worldwide fashion icon will be held at Kensington Palace.
Diana: Her Fashion Story will feature some of her most famous dresses, including the blue velvet gown worn when she memorably danced with actor John Travolta at The White House.
It will trace the evolution of the Princess’s style, from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances, to the glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life, and open on February 24 2017 at the palace which was her home for 15 years.
A temporary garden celebrating her life will also be opened to compliment the fashion display, as the 20th anniversary of her tragic death nears.
Replacing the Fashion Rules exhibition in the Piggott Gallery, Diana: Her Fashion Story will display exquisite and celebrated outfits from throughout the Princess’s public life.
It will bring together an extraordinary collection of garments, ranging from the glamorous evening gowns worn on engagements in the 1980s, to the chic Catherine Walker suits that made up Diana’s ‘working wardrobe’ in the 1990s.
It will also explore Diana’s relationship with her favourite designers through a display of some of their original fashion sketches, created for her during the design process, and explore how she navigated her unique position in the public eye – learning to use her image to engage and inspire people, and to champion the causes she cared about.
Exhibition highlights will also include the pale pink Emanuel blouse worn for Diana’s engagement portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1981 and a blue tartan Emanuel suit, worn for an official visit to Venice in the 1980s, which will go on display in public for the first time.
The suit, a rare survival of the Princess’s daywear, was only recently rediscovered and acquired at auction by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity responsible for Kensington Palace.
The historic Sunken Garden, a Palace favourite of the Princess, will also be transformed into a temporary White garden to complement the fashion exhibition.
It will be planted with flowers and foliage inspired by memories of the her life, image and style.
Diana: Her Fashion Story curator Eleri Lynn: “Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of the most photographed women in the world, and every fashion choice she made was closely scrutinised.
“Our exhibition explores the story of a young woman who had to quickly learn the rules of royal and diplomatic dressing, who in the process put the spotlight on the British fashion industry and designers.
“We see her growing in confidence throughout her life, increasingly taking control of how she was represented, and intelligently communicating through her clothes.
“This is a story many women around the world can relate to, and we hope many visitors will join us next year, to get a closer look at some of Diana’s most iconic outfits, on display in her former home.”