Met Gala throwback: Princess Diana’s ‘liberated’ £10,000 nightdress fashion statement that broke all traditions

The Mail reported that Diana made the Met Gala moment her own just four months after officially breaking free from her marital ties with Charles. She attended the gala eight months before her demise. Dior head Bernard Arnault invited her to the gala back then. She eventually arrived at the event with her close friend Liz Tillberis, the chairwoman of the ball and British editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar.

Here’s what she wore to the gala.

Princess Diana’s Unconventional Met Gala Dress that Stole the Spotlight

Sporting a £ 10,000 midnight blue gown adorned with black lace, Diana paired the unusual fashion pick with a velvet opera coat. Instantly becoming the spotlight-stealing sensation of the evening, Diana was reportedly the first person to put on a gown from Dior’s new designer John Galliano’s debut haute couture show.

Also read | Prince Harry against Prince Charles’ £18,000 birthday gift to Archie? Report denies claims

Her minimalistic choice became an eye-catching enamour as she paired it with a sapphire choker, supported by triple pearl strands. Representing a new class of royal fashion dressing, Diana drew mixed responses to her statement.

In a 2018 interview, John Galliano further revealed that it was Diana’s choice to go the provocative distance by removing the interior bustier of the dress. “It was a reflection of how she was already feeling: Liberated,” Galliano told the Wall Street Journal Magazine, referencing her state of mind after the divorce.

On the other hand, fashion critic Brenda Polan wasn’t a big fan of her look. “The problem, and there is no delicate way of saying this, is that it looked like she had accidentally stepped out in her nightie, which meant, of course, that she wasn’t wearing a bra,” she wrote in the Daily Mail.

Much like Cinderella, Diana slipped out of the ball before midnight and before the dancing uproar consumed the event. The ravishing and daring look of the then 35-year-old Diana was later displayed at the 2019 Christian Dior exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

See Princess Diana’s Met Gala look from 1996 here.