One of the most iconic handbags of all time, Dior's Lady Dior handbag originated in the early 90s and still remains a legacy piece in modern fashion today. A staple of style & grace, the piece has been spotted all over celebrities, and media for years, but there is one famous name that propelled it's current height of status...
Photo courtesy of Angela Cortesi Pintrest
Dior originally launched the handbag in 1994 with the name 'ChouChou' (french for favorite). In 1995 the First Lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, gifted a plain black leather version of the bag to Princess Diana of Wales (for an inauguration of an exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris). Following, Princess Diana appeared with the bag in a wave of press from various events, and proceeded to order it in every available version. In 1996, after she had turned the piece into a sought after feminine icon all over the world, Dior renamed the model 'Lady Dior' in homage to Diana with her approval.
The style itself is indeed crafted for a Princess. Each Lady Dior is handmade by 7 different artisans who assemble the vast variety of materials together for a total of 8 hours per piece. The infamous 'Cannage' stitching pattern was inspired Napoleon III chairs design, that Christian Dior used at his first fashion show in 1947.
Often a timeless classic like this will modernize over time, but this Lady has stayed fairly true to its original style & production process. Although the basis of the bag has remained true, modern versions have progressed with more with materials, colors, embellishments, sizing, and customization options. The Lady is available in 5 different sizes today, and countless artistic iterations.