As we continue to delve into the history of some of the most iconic bags, one that will forever be quintessentially classic is the Lady Dior Bag. Born in 1995, the first time this bag appeared was on the arm of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, on a trip to Paris.
Before that moment, this Dior bag did not have a name but because of the historic moment snapped with this bag on her arm, it received the perfect name: the Lady Dior.
That wasn’t the only time Lady Diana would be pictured with this bag. She was spotted many times carrying the Lady Dior which quickly became synonymous with her personal style.
From that moment 25 years ago, the Lady Dior catapulted to a spot in handbag history and quickly became an iconic symbol. The bag itself is classic in its design, with clean, architectural lines which are dressed up with metallic charms. As with many cornerstone designs, this bags pays homage to elements of the House.
The charms are reflective of the lucky charms Christian Dior always kept with him. Another house staple is the Cannage motif, which dates back to the Napoleon III seats the couturier set up for guests at his fashion shows.
The Lady Dior Bag has been re-imagined, season after season for the past two and a half decades, which makes it a bag easy to love. A timeless elegance exudes from the soft lambskin and rounded handles, along with the topstitched Cannage motif. Today’s versions of the Lady Dior bag offer playful charms to personalize the bag to your liking along with a wide shoulder strap which gives a more effortlessly wearable vibe. There are plenty of sizes, different hardware options, and materials differ from leather to embroidery.
Playing into the House’s close link with the arts, Dior has enlisted artists to partake in its Dior Lady Art project which allowed artists varying from sculptors to designers to painters, to reinterpret this bag with their own creative twist. This has been a 4 part series, allowing the understated Lady Dior to be re-imagined in entirely new and interesting ways. Dior has created its “Lady Dior As Seen By” traveling exhibition as a way for us to view these masterpieces up close and personal.
This season, Dior introduced its newest iteration of the Lady Dior Bag: the Lady D-Lite (pictured below). This minimalist version still features the Cannage motif, but this time it’s created with 3-D embroideries. The tone-on-tone coloring is subtle and modern with five colorways offered: Bois De Rose, beige, black, and gray all with pale gold hardware or a white option with silver hardware. The Lady D-Lite epitomizes elegance and beauty while offering a casual and wearable finish. You can shop all current Lady Dior items on Dior.com here.
Few bags are able to last multiple seasons let alone a few decades, yet the Lady Dior Bag certainly holds one of the few coveted seats in the handbag world: that of a timeless iconic staple. If you want to learn more about the Lady Dior Bag, check out our Ultimate Guide to the Lady Dior Bag.
I believe it was called the chouchou (favourite) before being renamed the Lady Dior in honour of Lady Di. Cannily timed article, I’m currently waiting very impatiently for my, new to me, vintage nylon Lady Dior to arrive. I was delighted to nab this version for a great price for my birthday! I think it will be casual and carefree. It also brought this dream bag into a very accessible price point for me!
I love this bag and thank you for the history! Now I want this new d-lite one, it’s so incredible!!
I love it too and own three of them. I covet another, but it’s an artist interpretative bag and currently out of my limited budget.
Great article!! I just got my first last year and it’s my favorite bag. I can definitely see myself with more than one in the very near future.
I have always loved this bag and now after this article I love it even more. The D-Lite bag has been on my list for months now as it’s so perfectly cute. Plus I am vegan and this is a fantastic non-leather bag which I am always on the lookout for. (I am sure there is some on it somewhere, but it’s mostly non-leather which makes me super happy.)
Still to this day seeing pictures of Princess Di makes me so sad. What a tragic loss.
As always, thank you PB for the great article!
It’s a classic and I’d love to add one to my collection one day. It doesn’t quite suit my usual casual look, but I tried on the mini and got hooked. Neeeeeeeeeed.
I love this bag and plan on adding it to my collection eventually. Thank you for sharing its lovely history!
IMHO Dior is still one of the few brands out there that IS luxury despite also making some great edgy streetwear. The quality is high, the customer service is phenomenal, and the prices are still *reasonable* because it’s not the most front-and-center in-demand house although its following is loyal and steady. MGC has accomplished adding some much needed edge after Raf left (I was not a fan) to the LD’s, and of course she’s added her own spin to the saddle and launched the book tote. Although I appreciate a lot she has done, I think the “I am woman hear me roar”, huge Dior logo plastered all over everything, and all the tarot crap is old news. Other than that Dior remains pretty conflict free which I do appreciate (here’s looking at you Chanel, LV). The fall collection is tdf!
I mostly agree with you, but I do love my blue large monogram Dior tote. I can put all of my purchases in when I shop (or when I shopped when the malls were opened), but it’s also a work horse. I have 5 grandchildren and it carries all of their stuff in one bag. I also think it’s stylish and fun, but admittedly it’s not for everyone. On the other hand I love my Lady Dior bags. I own several and it always elevates any outfit I wear. It’s simple, elegant, timeless and not everyone carries it, which makes me appreciate it more. And the quality is amazing! However, the appeal of the saddle bag is lost on me. It looks awkward and lopsided and from what I understand doesn’t carry much. I think the price point is too high, since it was reintroduced, but I guess it has its following.
Ok totally I think the book tote is AMAZING, and I have a few myself!! I guess what I was saying (like the saddle) is that it got so popular that they just drowned us in it. Does that make sense? Too much of a good thing…and also in doing so, maybe made me miss seeing or looking forward to some newer designs? The Montaigne is kind of ok, but too small for me to be practical.
I didn’t like the saddle bag the first time around and don’t like it now. Several years go, Dior had a store at the Foxtown designer discount mall in Switzerland (the store is no longer there). Most of their bag stock at the time was saddle bags. That design was not, and still isn’t, anything close to a standout item from their portfolio.
Just curious if anyone that owns the Lady D-Lite, finds it difficult to keep clean, since it’s made of embroidered fabric.
Another fun bit of trivia about this bag: the shape of the handles when folded outward from the body of the bag form the “C” and “D” of designer Christian Dior’s name. I own three Lady Dior bags; it is by far my most favorite handbag style in my collection.
Thanks for sharing that, had not noticed! It reflects what close attention the brand pays to the details that elevate it above the norm.
Any comments on the zipper vs the flap opening?
Good question! I prefer the zipper for the large version, can go either way for the medium size.
Wow Megs,
I am blown away with the timing of this article. The Lady Dior was on my list for this year’s purchase. The COVID mess we are all living in has pushed that purchase our to late this year hopefully.
Such a classic bag & I am looking forward to being able to purchase it fingers crossed in 2020z
Jana
My top three bags are my Birkin 30, my Chanel classic flap, and my lady Dior. My holy grail, trinity. I have them all now, but my Lady Dior was the bag I pined for the longest. I seriously went to visit it for about 10 years at Bergdorf’s ha ha. Then I tighten up my collection, let go of a bunch of bags I didn’t love, and finally pulled the trigger on the classic lady Dior. The price tag seemed so hefty at the time, but it taught me to buy less and only focus on the bags I really love. I would love to add more Dior eventually.
But——- I would agree with other posters that I HATED Dior’s marketing of the saddle bag and 30 Montaigne. Gifting them to every blogger takes away from all my interest in those bags.
These brands spend so much on marketing and gifting bags and then it’s on us the bag lovers, to cover those costs in ridiculous price increases.
I hope going forward Dior focuses on customers, craftsmanship, and elegance. Their bags are truly works of art.
The Lady Dior was perfectly named after Princess Di. She exuded elegance and her look was timeless! IMO she led the fashion world!
The Lady Bag is a time-tested and time-honoured classic that looks set to remain popular in the years to come. IMO, the classic large version is on a par with the Birkin, only much less expensive and you can purchase it without spending a fortune elsewhere on the brand or doing a song and dance for the SAs. Dior has wisely opted to continue the classic design while still offering creative variations on a regular basis. And they have kept to their high quality standards, something that is sadly not always the case with Chanel classic bags. Finally, the staff at the Dior boutiques I have been to have been consistently welcoming and helpful. Kudos!
I love these articles. Its nice to hear about the history of the handbags we love.