The Royal Lady Dior Bag

The iconic Lady Dior bag is one of the most popular designer handbags of all time and Princess Diana‘s favorite. We would like to give you a little more background information about this Dior bag. What's the story behind it? And how is it made? 

The Lady Dior was first launched in 1994 with no official name, nicknaming it Chouchou, which means favorite in French. In September 1995, the Lady Dior bag in a classic black was given to Diana, Princess of Wales, by France’s First Lady, Bernadette Chirac. The occasion? The inauguration of the Cézanne exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Princess Diana with her Lady Dior - via Pinterest

The name of the bag

The house of Dior’s latest creation was immediately adopted by the Princess, who ordered it in every available version. In a short period of time, Princess Diana was seen and photographed at a lot of official events and occasions with her favorite bag. For example during a visit to a children's home in Birmingham and a state visit to Argentina.

It was then that the Lady Dior bag became associated with the world’s most publicised woman. In 1996, as a homage to the Princess, it was renamed ‘Lady Dior’ with her blessing. In only two years time, the iconic model was sold over 200.000 times. In 1999, the Lady Dior also gave a name to a watch and inspired a make-up product by Parfums Christian Dior.

Over the years, several celebrities have been the face of Lady Dior, including first Carla Bruni in 1996, and later Diane Kruger and Monica Bellucci. From 2008, Marion Cotillard is the face of the Lady Dior, chosen by the one and only John Galliano.

Carla Bruni and Marion Cotillard with the Lady Dior - via Pinterest

The design of the Lady Dior

Created in a couture spirit, the Lady Dior bag in padded stitched leather reflects a number of the Dior house codes. The stitching pattern or cannage is inspired by the Napoléon III chairs once used by Christian Dior to welcome his customers on the day of his show in 1947. The gold- or silver-tone letters D.I.O.R. on charm pendants act as an eternal signature of the lucky charms Christian Dior loved. 

‘Real luxury requires the best materials and the best craftsmanship,’ Christian Dior declared. And so, in the house’s ateliers, each Lady Dior is made by hand, consisting of 144 pieces to make one Lady Dior. 8 hours and 7 artisans are needed to create one of these iconic bags. Wow! Everything starts with the manual cutting out of the leathers. The pieces are then assembled, moulded around a wooden form and sewn together with precision. The charms, the four Dior letters, are also shaped by hand. 

Video of the making of a Lady Dior - via YouTube

Over the years, the Lady Dior has become available in 5 different sizes and materials. The available sizes today are the Lady Dior Micro, the Lady Dior Mini - which was introduced in 2015 -, the Lady Dior Medium, the Lady Dior Large and the Large Dior Lady Shopping Tote. In 2016, a detachable embellished strap was launched that could be purchased separately. All in all, the Lady Dior has had some tweaks here and there, but still remains one of the true classic and icons bags by Dior.

Different sizes of a Lady Dior - PurseBlog via Pinterest

Are you looking for the Lady Dior bag of your dreams? We have some good news for you Most of the time we have some really pretty Lady Dior bags in our collection so check it out! And if you have any questions don't hesitate to message us!

With love, Kayleigh

Sources:
Book: For The Love of Bags
Marie Claire - The story behind Princess Diana's favorite bag
Wikipedia - Lady Dior
Vogue France - The Lady Dior
Bag Addicts Anonymous - History of a classic: Lady Dior