Diana
Spencer, who is more known for her name Princess Diana, is one of the largest
fashion icons in royal history. She was a very loved public figure and her
death in a car crash in August 1997 touched a lot of people,
However the
thing that people remember the most about Diana is her personal sense of style,
in particular her wedding dress.
She got
married to Charles, prince of Wales in July , 1981 at St Paul’s cathedral, watched
by an audience of 750 million people on television and another 600,000 people
out on the street, (Johnson n.d) all intrigued to get a look at the Bride,
Diana.
The thing
that people was most curious about was her wedding dress.
It had been a close guarded secret to the day of the wedding and was almost more talked about then the actual wedding (Neel 2011, p8)
It had been a close guarded secret to the day of the wedding and was almost more talked about then the actual wedding (Neel 2011, p8)
It was
designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, two designers who had only graduated
college a year before they got a personal call from Princess Diana asking if
they wanted to design her wedding dress (Melik 2012)
They were
given 3 months to make the dress and worked on it until one day before the
wedding was about to happen.
“We are
saving the last inch to the very end, because we are very suspicious and I
think it is unlucky to finish too early” Elizabeth Emanuel answers in an
interview,1 month before the wedding. (youtube 1981)
There was a
lot of pressure for the designers and this would be the dress that Diana would
wear in one of the most important event in Royal history;
“There was a lot of
expectation and formality, she was going in as Lady Diana Spencer and coming
out as the Princess of Wales” (Melik 2012)
The
dress was featured a ruffled neck, full sleeves and skirt, but also a 25 foot
long train which was the longest in royal wedding history. (Neel 2011,p8)
Style File - Diana, Princess Of Wales, n.d
But
the fame of Diana’s wedding dress did not die after the event of the wedding.
14
years after her death, an exhibition dedicated to Diana’s life was open in Foxwoods
resort Casino in Connecticut which included more then 150 objects, 28 designer
dresses and of course, Diana’s wedding dress. (Vann 2011)
The
dress was highly guarded and only 2 people were allowed to handle the dress.
This
phenomenon of Diana’s dress started in 1981 an
d is still an popular subject when speaking of fashion in royal family’s.
d is still an popular subject when speaking of fashion in royal family’s.
The
dress also got a lot of attention in media, in 2011 when Diana’s son, prince
William married famous style icon, Catherine Middleton.
Kate’s
dress was designed by Sarah Burton from Alexander Mcqueen and was as talked and
speculated about as Diana’s.
Kate’s Sarah Burton wedding gown could go on display, n.d
They
will both be two of the most important wedding dresses in fashion history and
will probably be copied and used as inspiration for a long time in the future.
“Both
dresses are an iconic part of history and have inspired and will inspire
fashion and wedding dresses moving forward.” (Grundy 2011)
Johnson,J
n.d, Princess Diana’s Wedding, viewed
1st of October 2012
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/diana/a/diana_wedding.htm
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/diana/a/diana_wedding.htm
I think it is amazing how excited people can become about a wedding dress. I personally don't understand why people why people become so obsessed with what a princess wears on her wedding day more than any other person. Perhaps it is because they want to imagine themselves being that person? Or perhaps it is the expectation of anyone marrying into the royal family, that they have to be perfectly well dressed at all times. I also find it amazing how important the role of fashion is to a young princess. People judge them constantly on what they are wearing, almost as if this is the most important thing. I think this perfectly shows just how important fashion is in the identity of a celebrity, without it they are considered to be much less than that.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Fredheim
I agree it is a huge influence on the fashion industry the wedding dress chosen for a royal wedding, as it is one of the only times we get an insight into the often protected world of the royals. Their glamorous lifestyle is desirable as well as it's traditions and upholding the expectations people place on a royal family. I believe that fashion is one of the only ways the majority of people have of relating to a royal family, and also feel they have the right to be critical if necessary of such an esteemed group.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Rubins