Princess Diana walked the Met Gala red carpet to not only make an appearance but also defy all the conventions. This happened in 1996, just a few months after her divorce. The people did not know how much Princess Diana had changed herself by then, and even her designer was left awestruck.
Princess Diana entered in the Costume Gala event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art alongside fashion designer John Galliano. This event was well prepared. John Galliano came to Kensington Palace with designs and ideas. He even proposed a design in pink. However, Diana turned it down.
The final look was a navy boudoir slip dress that had a silk robe overlay. The design was elegant but was now crossing the line into royalty. What happened next would take everyone by surprise. As Diana headed to her destination, she decided on the spur of the moment to take off the corset from her dress. As she got out of the car, John Galliano watched with shock as the structure that he had worked on disappeared.
As mentioned by the fashion designer, John Galliano, Diana felt ‘liberated’ without wearing the corset. With the dress, there came more natural and sensuous movements. Now, the dress was not just fashion design but also a statement. She added a pearl and sapphire choker necklace along with her hands holding the small quilted Dior handbag.
The 1996 ball itself was much different compared to today's extravagance. The ‘first Monday in May’ phenomenon was yet to be born and the ball had been in its infancy stages. With Anna Wintour at the helm just a year before, Princess Diana’s inclusion into the event played a huge role in defining what the ball would eventually come to mean.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.