The Met Gala red carpet wasn't always the spectacle fashion fans have come to know, but in 1996, Princess Diana certainly made a statement as she made her one and only appearance at the costume benefit. However, a new story about her Dior slip dress has come to light nearly 30 years later—and it proves Diana made her own rules when it came to fashion.
In the new Hulu documentary, In Vogue: The '90s, former Dior creative director John Galliano revealed how the princess took him by surprise at the event by switching up his design.
The designer—who currently serves as creative director of Maison Margiela—had just taken over at Dior, and since the '96 Met Gala was themed to celebrate an exhibition about Christian Dior, it seemed only natural for Princess Diana to wear a dress by the French fashion house.
With Galliano hailing also hailing from Britain, it seemed like the perfect partnership. However, it seems the royal made a last-minute (and rather major) change when it came to the lace-trimmed navy slip dress he created for her Met moment.
"I remember one day we all jumped into this old van, and we went to London, where we met Princess Diana," Galliano recalled. "It was like a blessing. I mean, wow."
The designer shared that he "went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings" with the princess, who had some strong opinions about color.
"I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. 'No, not pink!' That was real, real fun," Galliano said in the documentary, adding that the lingerie-inspired slip dress originally featured a corseted detail over the simple design.
It turns out the princess, who had filed for divorce from Prince Charles that summer, was in the mood for rebellion.
"Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car," Galliano said, sharing that he was shocked by what he saw. "I couldn't believe it. She'd ripped the corset out."
"She didn't want to wear the corset," the designer continued, explaining that the princess must have "felt so liberated" in her new era that "she'd torn the corset out."
"The dress was much more sensuous. The cameras went mental. The paparazzi was blinding, which made the dress really bling and the jewels and everything," Galliano continued.
The former Dior creative director wasn't the only one who shared memories of Diana in the new Hulu documentary. "I think all of us were so captivated and fascinated by Princess Diana," Vogue legend Anna Wintour said.
"At that time, she was the most famous woman in the world. She was enjoying fashion and the spotlight that she put on particularly British designers."
And while Diana's Met Gala dress made headlines around the world for its boudoir-inspired design, no one knew that it was the princess herself who was behind the "sensuous" change.
