An instant style icon, Diana – both during her tenure as a princess and after – made her mark on the world for her philanthropy, charm and of course, sense of style. A trailblazer who set trends we continue to look to today, there’s no doubt her flair for fashion lives on. A woman who knew what she liked, there were a few go-to designers that never left Diana – or her millions of fans – disappointed. Here, we take you back in time through the style vault as we examine Princess Diana’s all-time favourite designers!
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Hachi
When Princess Diana and then-husband Prince Charles took to the red carpet for the Premiere of Octopussy, all eyes were on Lady Di in this silver beaded one-shoulder gown by Hachi.

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Christina Stambolian
Setting the standard for the original LBD (little black dress), Diana opted for a dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian. Worn in the midst of her then-husband’s infidelities coming to light, she countered the negative press as the picture of confidence in a leggy, off-the-shoulder number that made the front page for all the right reasons.

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Victor Edelstein
Princess Diana in a Victor Edelstein black formal gown worn in 1987 - a night remembered for both her wardrobe selection and that turn on the dance floor of the White House with none other than John Travolta.

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Catherine Walker
It’s a tough call between Catherine Walker and Victor Edelstein as to which label the princess favored more, but safe to say, this was without a doubt one of her all-time favourite designers to wear. Here, Diana sparkles in a sequin creation by Catherine Walker.

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Bruce Oldfield
Princess Diana worked with one of her longtime favourite designers Bruce Oldfield on this custom-made dress, which she wore to the premiere of For Your Eyes Only.

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Murray Arbeid
Princess Diana turned heads in this Murray Arbeid flamenco-style strapless gown, adding her own signature touch to the style by accessorizing the look with one red satin glove and one black.

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Elizabeth and David Emanuel
Princess Diana wore a custom Elizabeth and David Emanuel gown for her wedding to Prince Charles. Little-known designers at the time, it was a mark of Diana’s signature style that she would forgo the big names of the time to work with a smaller, more intimate label to create one of the most iconic gowns she would ever wear.

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Catherine Walker – take 2!
Diana kept her on-duty style functional yet fun by re-working the classic skirt suit with a bold hue and classic fit – these crisp suits by Catherine Walker became staples in what was considered Diana’s “work wardrobe.” Over the course of her time as a royal, Diana would wear over 500 designs by this label.

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David Sassoon
Princess Diana wore this blue floral dress by David Sassoon on several occasions, and the frock quickly became known as the Princess’ “caring dress” – one that she wore to specific events where she might be visiting sick children, for example, as it’s said she felt the bright colours and floral pattern were calming to children. It’s reported Diana wore over 70 dresses by this designer.

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Bruce Oldfield – take 2!
We just couldn’t resist tacking this gold lamé number by Bruce Oldfield to the list. Tagged as the gown that gave way to the nickname Dynasty Di – owing to the exaggerated shoulder style and gold finish, an homage to the classic series – this was one of the most memorable red carpet gowns of Diana’s royal tenure, as worn to the 1985 premiere of A View to a Kill.
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