Princess Diana's lingerie-inspired Met Gala look was the ultimate 'revenge' dress
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Anneta Konstantinides
May 7, 2024, 00:34 IST
Princess Diana made her one and only Met Gala appearance in 1996.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Princess Diana made her only Met Gala appearance in 1996, shortly after divorcing then-Prince Charles.
She wore a lingerie-inspired silk slip dress designed by John Galliano.
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Fashion's biggest night is here, which means it's the perfect time to dive into the Met Gala archives.
As celebrities prepare for Monday's theme, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," we wanted to look back on one of the rare Met Gala appearances made by a British royal.
Princess Diana made a splash at her only Met Gala in 1996.
Diana's debut came shortly after she finalized her divorce from then-Prince Charles in August 1996, a story that made headlines around the globe.
But Princess Diana wasn't afraid to go bold as she arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on December 9, 1996.
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The year's theme paid tribute to Christian Dior, so Diana opted for a dress designed by John Galliano, who had just become head designer of the legendary French fashion house.
Diana wore a lingerie-inspired silk navy-blue slip dress with black lace and paired the ensemble with a matching silk robe.
She accessorized the outfit with sapphire earrings and a sapphire choker necklace that matched her engagement ring.
"That was one of her most shocking dresses," Moran told the site. "But I thought she looked fabulous. She just looks so happy and confident."
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"I think she was embracing it and enjoying it," Moran added. "She knew she could never get rid of the attention and the spotlight on her, but I think she was positioning it in a different way, as a kind of international megastar, Marilyn Monroe-type icon rather than a member of the royal family. And I think the dress really reflected that."
But the gown is now part of fashion history, even going on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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