The many effortless ensembles worn by Diana, Princess of Wales fit perfectly onto a fashion moodboard. Be it her school-run mum uniform of jeans, graphic sweater, blazer and baseball cap; or her infamous Christina Stambolian “revenge” dress, chosen at the last minute for the Serpentine Gallery’s 1994 summer party; the 2020 Insta crowd can’t get enough of the late royal’s nostalgic looks.
Her ability to master any dress code–off-duty errand run, the dash to the school gate, state occasion, sporting event or gym trip–remains as impressive now as it was then. She made an impact. Case in point: there are few who couldn’t reference at least one look from her wardrobe (her iconic wedding dress by the Emanuels, for example).
Decades after she died, Diana’s inimitable style seemed to inspire a new generation of designers ahead of the autumn/winter 2020 collections. Take the checked blazer worn by Adut Akech at Saint Laurent: it is almost identical to an Alistair Blair jacket Diana wore in 1987. The black upper lapels and ’80s power shoulders seen on hers also featured on Anthony Vaccarello’s iteration 33 years later. Then there’s the pastel suiting seen at Chanel last season – fans will know Di was fond of sprightly spring palettes.