The years of Lady Dee’s divorce were accompanied by a stylistic renaissance. Twenty-five years after his death, a look back at his views that spoke volumes about his state of mind with Eloise Moran, author of a book on the subject.
She has long been nicknamed “Shy Di”. Editor’s Note:) because his reserve was his media signature. However, on June 29, 1994, Princess Diana surprised everyone. She arrives resplendent at London’s Serpentine Gallery in a dress that defies palace rules: tight, short, bare shoulders. The creation is signed Christina Istanbululi and caused a sensation in the gardens of Kensington Palace, where Lady Di went alone to a charity dinner. It must be said that at the same time he knows that his marriage is officially falling apart. That evening, Prince Charles confesses to his adultery with Camilla Parker-Bowles on television. Onlookers will say that in this eye-catching cut, Diana eclipses everything in her path and wins the media episode. It doesn’t take much longer to see how the term “revenge dress” (“vengeance dress”) was born, symbolizing Lady Dee’s newfound freedom.
This fashion moment has long fascinated US-based Londoner Eloise Moran, who once worked as an editorial writer for the label Opening Ceremony. In 2018, she decided to dedicate her Instagram page (@ladydirevengeslook) to Lady Dee’s wardrobe, which shows her revenge for her married years. It features her most striking, most significant but also most subtle appearance, signaling the first signs of her relationship with Prince Charles running out of steam. For Eloise Moran, these outfits are “a symbol of her growing independence.” With 118,000 subscribers, the account led to the publication of a book with the title The Lady Di Look book (1), in June.
Miss Figaro. – When did Lady Dee realize that her clothes could carry messages about her marriage?
Eloise Moran Having reached the status of “princess”, she realized that the press, the society, everyone carefully checks what she wears. At first, it was discussed where her clothes came from in order to copy her style. But when your public speaking is limited, which was the case with Lady Dee, you quickly realize that clothes are also a means of communication. And it showed up very early in his marriage. In 1983, during a polo match, he wore a sheepskin sweater, one of which stood out in black; it was her first strong statement through clothing. At this time, her relationship with Prince Charles was not easy and she did not feel secure with the royal family. Clearly, with this sweater, Lady Dee is invoking the proverbial “black sheep,” seeing herself as an “intruder.” This showed his disillusionment with the royal family.
Was it easy for him to get his hands on his gear? She was very independent when it came to fashion. In 1981, when she became engaged to Prince Charles, she turned to stylist Anna Harvey, who worked for a British publisher. fashion. He met him through his sister, he was like a family friend. Anna Harvey helped her develop relationships with designers and teamwork was created. Lady Diana sent sketches and notes directly to the stylists. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, what she wanted to wear and had a natural sense of fashion.
How can we describe his stylistic evolution? In the early 1980s, Diana wore many fairy-tale outfits with a first-class sense of “princess” style. He had a very traditional and conservative British style. I don’t think she felt comfortable in her body. She did not wear extremely fitted dresses or sexy creations. Over the years, she began to lift her shoulders and show some skin. He opened with a more international and more “trendy” style compared to what the English were wearing at the time. She went from “Shy Diana” to “Avenging Diana”.
At what point in her life does her wardrobe become a sign of empowerment?
In the 1980s, we read through his clothes a form of frustration, like a cry for help. The British imagined that he was living in a fairy tale, but he wanted to show them that it was not so. While in the following decade, during the years of the divorce, she began to break the stereotypes of what a princess and a woman should do and wear as part of royal protocol. It was time for liberation.
(1) The Lady Di Look book. What was Diana trying to tell us through her clothes?By Eloise Moran (ed. St. Martin’s Griffin)
Source: Le Figaro
