Diana, Princess of Wales is always a popular topic with royal watchers. Most of my own interest falls to earlier royals, but I can understand why people are interested in the late Princess of Wales. Her fashion life was interesting all on it’s own, and I love that in the last 10 years, curators have begun to look at it on its own. This is a look at David Sassoon’s Diana, Princess of Wales sketches, a popular British designer that Diana would frequently wear!
I was first introduced to the work of David Sassoon in February of 2019 when I visited Kensington Palace for the nth time. Kensington Palace is rather divisive, as a Historic Royal Palace property. Everyone wants to go to the Tower of London for the beheadings and the Crown Jewels. And then everyone wants to go to Hampton Court Palace for Henry VIII and the pre-beheadings. But Kensington Palace? It’s always considered a feminine place that a lot of people skip. And I think that is quite a shame. The childhood home of Queen Victoria, the site of the Stuart Court of Queen Anne and the Georgian Court of George III, it is fascinating. And for the modern royalists, it was the home of Diana, Princess of Wales, and now the Cambridges. And it was in the “Diana: Her Fashion Story” exhibition that I came upon some wonderful fashion sketches.
Diana: Her Fashion Story
“Diana: Her Fashion Story” was an exhibition at Kensington that closed the week after I visited! (Timing works out in your favour sometimes.) It was a tour through the late Princess of Wales’ closet and showcased several memorable looks from her engagement in 1981 through to her death in 1997. I loved that it featured images of Diana wearing the pieces, context is key for the historian. It featured many different designers, including Sassoon.
David Sassoon
Before I dive into the sketches themselves, I want to give a quick primer on David Sassoon. Born in 1932, Sassoon is an English fashion designer who turned to designing after his father disapproved of an acting career. He joined Belinda Bellville at her eponymous house in 1958, and it became Bellville Sassoon in 1970. Originally located in Knightsbridge, you can now find it in Chelsea! Sassoon has dressed several members of the royal family, in addition to the Princess of Wales. He has designed for Princess Margaret, the Duchess of York, Princess Michael of Kent, and the Duchess of Gloucester, not insignificant members. He is most well-known for dressing Diana, though, henceforth his inclusion in this exhibition.
Sassoon Sketches
I thought that the inclusion of this sketches were a wonderful touch. After seeing the Dior exhibition, I have a much greater appreciation for seeing a garment throughout the stages of its life. Sketch, toile, and finished piece, they all have their place. Although toiles don’t stay around forever, sketches are kept far more often. And in the case of someone like the late Princess of Wales, her wardrobe has been scattered across the globe. While we can’t see these pieces in person, it is lovely enjoy them in this form. And although we are lucky to have the pictures of her wearing the pieces, seeing the sketches allows us to learn more about the designer’s interpretation of the garment itself. In the case of royally worn garments,I find that the designer’s work is often overlooked for the royal wearing it.
The top sketch is a white and pale blue chiffon dress that Princess Diana wore in late 1981. She famously dozed off during a performance, and it was announced the next day that she was pregnant with the future Prince William. Depending on the photo, that pink and purple colouring from the swatch comes through much more, but in most photos I’ve seen, it is quite a pale dress.
Another chiffon dress! Chiffon seems very 1980s to me, but then again, it would have been very timely. This was one of my favourite sketches included in the exhibition, I love the way that the strokes of the marker show the movement of the skirt. I also think that these sketches look timeless, which is impressive given how contemporary Diana’s early wardrobe was. It is quite interesting though comparing the sketch to the actual fabric and piece; it seems that quite often it only tangentially related. (Do any fashion historians know why there is such a difference?)
You might recognise the top design, as it is a “pink floral dress for Prince William’s christening”. Yes, a lot of these dresses are well-known to royal watchers because we keep track of everything. However, I’ve seen those christening photos a million times, and being able to see the design that started that particular look was something else. (If only he had included the hat that she wore with it!) And the bottom dress is a particularly special dress, at least for Diana herself. She called this brightly coloured floral dress her “caring dress”, as it would put children at ease when she would visit hospitals and hospices. Many people told her not to wear the dress (presumably because of how loud it is), but she knew how much they loved it and continued to wear it. And people think that style doesn’t make a difference!
♠
I wanted to share David Sassoon’s work with you now for a few reasons, when my “Diana: Her Fashion Story” full post won’t be up for a bit.. Firstly, I think that he is a talented designer who deserves attention! And secondly, he will be giving a talk at the Fashion Museum in Bath later this month, and if you are within travelling distance and are free, you should absolutely go. The Fashion Museum is a treasure trove for any fashion history fanatic, and Rosemary Harden is one of the most dedicated curators I have met. The event is on 11 April at 6:15pm and you can buy tickets here. (If anyone is going and would be willing to chat with me after, I would be forever grateful!!)
Have you seen David Sassoon’s Diana, Princess of Wales sketches?
Cheers,
The Historian
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