THE STORY BEHIND THE "LADY DIOR" BAG



We all know the iconic Lady Dior bag from Dior, right? But we all know what´s the story behind? How the bag became that iconic? And what was the reason?

It all started when France was getting ready to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to visit the Paul Cezanne exhibition at the Grand Palais, in Paris. The that time France's First Lady, Bernadette Chirac, was into seeking something unique and special gift for well known elegant Diana. She knew that Dior would be the right choice to make something like that. The First Lady spotted the bag while visiting the ateliers and instantly selected it; although it was then only a prototype, the house made an exclusive edition for Lady Diana within 24 hours. The iconic status of the bag started one day back in September of 1995 when Bernadette Chirac gave to Diana, Princess of Wales the newest handbag from Dior. It was adorned in black leather and featured an elegant stitching. The Princess immediately fell in love with the bag. Her new found obsession led her to order the designer purse in every style available. Since Princess Diana was known to be the most photographed woman in the world, it was inevitable that the designer handbag would be featured in several of these pictures - and that is exactly what happened.

In the following November, the bag was first captured on film during a visit to a children's home in Birmingham. Lady Di was shown holding a child and carrying her new favorite designer handbag. The princess was then seen toting it a few weeks later while on an official visit to Argentina. Following these two major appearances was the birth of a legend. The House of Dior decided to rename the bag in honor of the princess by titling it the Lady Dior. Since then, it has become one of the most iconic bags for the House of Dior.

While John Galliano's design seems somewhat simple, it is no easy feat to bring it to life. Each one requires a minimum of eight hours to construct and the work of seven craftsmen. 130 pieces of leather are needed for each bag and they all must be sanded, dyed, and hand-stitched then manually cut and placed around a wooden mold. Plus, the famous D.I.O.R. jeweled letters are all galvanized in different baths to ensure their luster. Even the feet of the bag are intricately designed with 43 pieces of metal coming together to protect the base from the harshness of the ground. One of the more fascinating elements of the designer handbag is its incorporation of some of the design house's history. Mr Dior's very first fashion show in 1947 featured Napoleon III chairs. These beautiful chairs are channeled through the cannage pattern and stitched leather featured on the outside. This reminiscent element gives the bag a touch of classic elegance that is undeniable.



Photography: Ulysse Frechelin

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