6 Ways to Style a Perennial Classic – The Lady Dior
The covetable and versatile arm-candy remains a wardrobe essential for good reason
November 5, 2018
Photo: Getty
Everyone is familiar with its hallmarks – the elegant gilded hanging charms, the iconic Cannage motif, and the rounded handles that echo the soft curvature of the Louis XV chairs that can be found at Monsieur Dior’s salon on Avenue Montaigne.
Remembered as the favourite bag of its namesake, the late Diana, the Princess of Wales, was first presented with the bag by then First Lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, in 1995 – and she fell madly in love with it immediate. In fact, she was so taken by the bag’s beauty that the People’s Princess ordered it in every shape and colour imaginable, and quickly included it in her sartorial repertoire: It was hanging off her fingers at every official function. Which very naturally caused the then unnamed bag to be renamed in Diana’s honour in 1996. The rest, as they say, is fashion history.
Fast forward to 2018, the Lady Dior is still as covetable as it was then, and it has become fashion’s most enduring style staple – forming a big part of the cultural lexicon. A firm favourite of the Hollywood set and the stylish hoi polloi alike, the bag has been reincarnated into a myriad of finishes, boasting an assortment of charms and straps, fit for every modern woman.
So why not make like these elegant swans outside Dior’s Cruise 2019 show and create your own fashion history with your Lady Dior, just like Princess Diana did so many moons ago?
It girl and author Alexa Chung takes no prisoners by pairing gold with silver – a total knockout with her one-two punch! Because what else can you pair your ultra chic gun metal Bar Jacket suit, but with a delicious gilded croc-skin Lady Dior?
Easy Breezy
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The iconic Cannage motif sheds its regular hand-stitching and is reborn with precious metallic accents. Perfect with a monochromatic ensemble of a billowing gauzy A-line skirt (a classic Dior silhouette), a crisp poplin shirt, and slippers. Because, why not?
Cute as a Button
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The smaller the bag, the longer the legs: A playful mantra all women should live by. And equally cheeky, is the limited button edition of the Lady Dior. Pair it with a short pleated skirt for that added naughty effect.
Hand on Heart
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In the spirit of BAZAAR’s legendary editor-in-chief, the great Diana Vreeland, why don’t you channel one of Monsieur Dior’s muses, the inimitable leonine Madame Mitzah Bricard – the one that mesmerised Avenue Montaigne during the ‘50s and lived only in animal prints – and pair your graffiti Lady Dior with cheetah-printed capri pants and fishnet lace-up boots? Meow.
A Nod to Mod
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Alternatively, add a genuine insouciance to any ensemble by pairing your preicious all-white and gold lambskin Lady Dior with a motorcycle jacket thrown casually over a shimmery Mod minidress that even Twiggy would wear.
Reflections of You
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There’s nothing like red, black and gold. The holy trinity. Three colours, in total harmony. Tiny reflective tiles on the Lady Dior also make for an excellent conversation starter! Perfect for a cold audience or to gaze at yourself, because with this bag, you’ll be the best dressed in any room. Dapper arm candy optional.
Lady Dior bag in red 'Cannage' lambskin
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Lady Dior bag in grey 'Cannage' lambskin
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Mini Lady Dior bag in lotus pearly 'Cannage' lambskin
