The real story behind Princess Diana’s ‘revenge’ dress – and why it’s still so influential 28 years on
- Diana’s show-stopping LBD was no coincidence. And besides her wedding gown it was to become her most famous frock
It’s 1994. Your husband has just admitted to cheating on you to the entire world. You’re due to be at an event and all eyes will inevitably be on you.
The saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold, but Diana chose to serve it piping hot.
As she strode out of her limousine towards the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park, she greeted people full of poise and confidence.
Her dazzling smile almost outshone the huge sapphire sparkling in the centre of her pearl choker.
She held her head high. Her hair caught in the fading sun, and notably she was still wearing her sapphire engagement ring.
Yet it was her black off-the-shoulder dress with matching-chiffon scarf flying behind from the waist that said it all.
Her message: ‘I am not a victim’.
At the same time, her estranged husband Charles was being beamed on TVs around the nation being interviewed about his infidelity with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
The iconic revenge dress that Princess Diana wore to the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 was actually created in September 1991 by Christina Stambolian
The sketch of Princess Diana’s revenge dress by Christina Stambolian taken from the book Diana: A Life in Dresses by Claudia Joseph
Interviewer Jonathan Dimbleby had asked Charles if he had been ‘faithful and honourable’ to Diana to which he replied ‘Yes,’ and added: ‘Until (the marriage) became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.’
Diana’s show-stopping dress was no coincidence. And besides her wedding gown it was to become her most famous frock.
The Americans christened the outfit the ‘I’ll Show You’ dress and the ‘vengeance’ dress.
Yet it had sat in her wardrobe collecting dust for three years, until that balmy June 29 evening.
It had been leaked that Diana was going to wear Valentino to the event, so instead she wore the daring off-the-shoulder gown by Greek designer Christina Stambolian.
She had bought the dress after lunching with her brother Charles Spencer at her favourite restaurant, San Lorenzo, before wandering down Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge and walking into the shop of the little-known Greek designer.
Christina Stambolian remembers Princess Diana asking for a ‘special dress for a special occasion’ in her store back in 1991, according to Claudia Joseph’s book, Diana: A Life in Dresses.
After a few sketches, they decided on the legendary short hem and after two dressmakers took more than 60 hours to create the dress – and the rest is history.
Ms Stambolian added that she ‘thrilled to see Diana wear it on that night of all nights.’
Referencing Swan Lake – one of Princess Diana’s favourite plays – Ms Stambolian added: ‘She chose not to play the scene like Odette, innocent in white. She was clearly angry. She played it like Odile in black. She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying: ‘Let’s be wicked tonight.’
The dress featured an asymmetrical hem, with a flattering sheer tail which dangled from the cinched waist.
With a flirty sweetheart neckline, Diana certainly turned heads, as she paired the dress with sheer tights, onyx coloured stilettos and her beloved pearl and sapphire choker, which was originally a brooch given to her by the Queen Mother that she fashioned into a necklace.
Photographer and author of Dicing with Di, Mark Saunders, told the documentary Diana: In Search of Happiness: ‘Everyone remembers the night of the Dimbleby interview when Prince Charles admitted an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles and look how Diana turned up at the Serpentine Gallery.
‘I mean my God that was brilliant and I applaud her for it, I thought it was great. But that’s what Diana does, she manipulates and she’s very good at it.’
The revenge dress is made up of an asymmetrical hem, with a flattering sheer tail which dangles from the cinched waist
Princess Diana talking to the designer who created the revenge dress, Christina Stambolian (in black jacket)
Mr Dimbleby asked Charles if he had been ‘faithful and honourable’ to Diana to which he replied ‘Yes,’ and added: ‘Until (the marriage) became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried’
Diana’s late former stylist Anna Harvey told the 2013 documentary Princess Diana’s Dresses: The Auction, that she wanted to hold her head high in what she chose to wear that evening.
Ms Harvey said: ‘She wanted to look a million dollars. And she did.’ The stylist also wrote in Vogue that it ‘thrilled’ the Princess to make an impact.
But the decision did not come easy to Diana, as according to Paul Burrell, her former butler, he chose the dress for her when she expressed thoughts about not attending the event.
He told the Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers: ‘She said, “I can’t go, I can’t face the world knowing what Charles has just said. And anyway I haven’t got anything to wear.” I went to her wardrobe room and pulled out the Christina Stambolian dress, and showed it to her.’
He also added that she was worried that the slinky dress would not fit her anymore, having bought it three years prior. He said: ‘I zipped her up and she looked a million dollars.’
According to Paul Burrell, her former butler, Diana said: ‘I can’t go, I can’t face the world knowing what Charles has just said’
Christina Stambolian (pictured) says she remembers Princess Diana asking for a ‘special dress for a special occasion’ in her store back in 1991
Prince Charles, confessed to being unfaithful to Diana in an interview with Jonathan Dimbleby (left) on 29 June, 1994
For a couple of hours at least her husband’s television confession was forgotten.
Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Diana on the Netflix series The Crown, stole the show with the recreation of the iconic revenge dress moment.
Sidonie Roberts, buyer and assistant costume designer for The Crown, told The Times that the look represented ‘the birth of an icon for women all over the world’.
Sidonie, who oversaw the recreation of the fashion moment, said: ‘We can’t overestimate its impact.
‘In the revenge dress not only do we have the birth of a new woman, we have the birth of an icon for women all over the world. It was a deeply empowering moment.’
It would seem Sidonie is correct, as Gen Z remain enthralled by Princess Diana.
Video content on the renowned little black dress content racks up millions of views on TikTok – proving that her ‘revenge’ moment still lives on to this day.
One TikTok shows a inspired Diana fan sketching up the famous dress to make herself, before showing a black ruched dress, reminiscent of the one the Princess wore, to show the progress she’s made so far.
A second video shows a stylist speaking about why Diana’s dress worked so well for her, speaking about how flattering the dress was for her body type. She says: ‘The impact of this dress is undeniable…. It has that slight promiscuous edge which made it so famous.’
One TikTok shows a inspired Dianna fan sketching up the famous dress to make herself
She then shows a black ruched dress, reminiscent of the one the Princess wore, to show the progress she’s made so far
A TikToker lip-synched The Crown in her version of the revenge dress and a similar necklace to the one the Princess wore
Princess Diana and the revenge dress #diana #princessdiana #princessofwales #nye #newyearseve #fancydress #blackdress #kingcharles
Another TikTok shows a woman lip-synching a scene from The Crown between Josh O’Connor (who plays Charles) and Emma Corrin (who plays Diana for this season) where the two characters are arguing about Camilla.
The Diana fan stands there in her version of the off-the-shoulder revenge dress and a similar necklace to the one the Princess wore.
The global platform hosts thousands of videos of people around the world who are inspired by the moment where Diana took back control and made a statement with a fashion choice that was so bold, there was little that needed to be said.
The powerful piece of material that continues to empower women around the world now remains in a bank vault, wrapped in tissue paper and has not been seen in public for years, according to Diana: A Life in Dresses.
A replica, which Christina Stambolian made in 2010, is in the Museum of Style Icons, in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
Replying to @Caro she’s on her vigilante sh*t again – let’s look at the day Diana dressed for revenge #princessdiana #thecrownseason5 #revengedress
A second video shows a stylist speaking about why Diana’s dress worked so well for her, speaking about how flattering the dress was for her body type
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