(elegant and regal
orchestral strings music) - [Marion] Rome, and the word is out that someone special is in town. (dramatic music) The paparazzi spring into action and Britain's most popular export receives a very Italian welcome. Diana's reputation as a
fashion leader gives her a high profile in a
country addicted to style. (people cheering and yelling) (siren wailing) As guest of honor at a charity dinner, and fashion show arranged by the Italian designer
Krizia, Diana combines two of her main interests,
charity work and clothes. Well aware of just how much the right outfit can help her good causes, after 15 years on a world stage, she's achieved legendary
status as a crowd-puller. London's Knightsbridge, home to one of Britain's top fashion
designers, Jacques Azagury has been designing for the Princess of Wales since the early '80s. Costing around 2,000 pounds, embroidered, and beaded evening
dresses are his specialty. Donna choose to wear one of
these eye-catching creations on the night her revealing interview for Panorama was televised and she knew all eyes would be on her. The dress was a statement.
- Side please! - First, I'm sure it was the night of her now very famous interview. It was just basically saying, you know, this is me, I feel really confident. This is the way I look and here I am. And that she chose that
dress I think really because it's a very stunning dress. It's very, very simple in line, but I think it says enough. By the way it's cut, it
has a very low neckline. It was quite bare. It was figure-hugging. It just looked great on the princess. (paparazzi shouting) - [Marion] A few weeks later,
she wore the same dress to receive a humanitarian
award in New York. Its low cut style with made to measure bodice
uplifting her 36B figure, again caused a sensation. - It's a very fashionable
look at the moment. The low, all the
supermodels are wearing it. It's a statement of the moment to have that very low
cleavage and the straps. It's not just because she's Princess Diana and she's going to be in
front of a hundred men. It's just a fashion statement I would say as opposed to anything else. (crowd clapping) She has a great confidence about her. You know it's like, "Here
I am, I'm feeling great. I'm looking great." And it all comes through the clothes and you can see through
the choice of clothing that she's choosing these days. That's exactly what she's portraying, and obviously feeling inside herself. - [Marion] Visiting Venice in 1995, Diana dared to show more leg
in another Azagury dress. - I'd say she's very adventurous. The red dress that we
made for her for Venice was covered worldwide, and the news was how short her skirt was. And it was very, very short
so by princess standards. But she actually, that's
how she wanted to wear it, and that's the way she did wear it. And of course it looked great that way. It was a red hand-beaded fabric. It was a bugle bead, which
has a great weight to it. It hangs very well. And that's basically why we needed to do such a simple shape, because the fabric was enough in itself. And with the princess in it,
you didn't really need anymore. - Hello.
- Your Royal Highness. Hello.
- Your Royal Highness. - [Host] More of the Guggenheims. - You want to come through. - [Marion] Azagury has been
dressing Britain's rich and famous for more than 10 years, but Diana's patronage has
taken his business worldwide. He's well aware of her power. - She's chosen one of my
dresses for that function. It is very exciting when you think, you know, she has the
whole world at her feet. Myself, it's really opened up many doors in many countries and particularly in the States and in Europe, by the princess wearing one of my dresses. It has actually made my name known to people who would never have
otherwise heard of my name. (horns blaring) - [Marion] It was in Florence in 1985 that Diana first wore
one of Azagury's designs for a public occasion. On this her first visit to Italy, the striking velvet and organza
evening dress signposted a growing sophistication
in her fashion sense. A young, unworldly
princess was coming of age. (audience applauds) - I think that was her first move towards something slightly more tailored and something I would say
slightly more international on the fashion level. At the same time that
she was wearing that, she was still wearing that
sort of very full ball gown and the frilly off the shoulders. She's gone from a very young Diana that used to wear clothes
that would shroud her body and actually cover her body to now, where she's probably one of the most sophisticated,
beautiful women in the world wearing much more fitted clothes, much more revealing clothes. Which actually kind of project a much more confident
Diana, than of 10 years ago. (Diana laughing) - [Marion] Back then, the new
uncertain Princess of Wales almost came unstuck during her first official
evening function. Someone should've warned Diana that such an unstructured, low cut evening dress would create problems. But by then it was too late. She would have to learn the hard way as the press had already honed in. (bright, hammered dulcimer music) - They love that, don't they? Seeing a bit of something
they shouldn't see. That I think people think about that, especially someone who's been once burnt like by getting out of a car and then their pictures all
over whatever newspaper. - [Marion] High cameras
were able to expose a very unroyal amount of cleavage. It was a lesson Diana never forgot. Anyone in the limelight must
dress with the utmost care. - The next time when
they're going for a dress, they will, hopefully I mean
they've got to be stupid if they don't think about
it the second time around. But I think they would say, "Oh, well, let me see what it's
like to get up and out." (camera shutters clicking) - [Marion] Yet when she first started, Diana's main worry was
that the sloppy jumpers of a kindergarten teacher were useless. For her new public role, she had to build a wardrobe from scratch. Her county set background
showed in her choices. (crowd clapping) - Well, there were two influences I guess. One was obviously the circle
of friends that she (mumbles). And the other was actually what
was fashionable at the time. That sort of set that she moved in was very much into sort of neck things, you know, frilly here and the little kind of cravat things and rather sort of. We haven't hit the suits yet, because the rest of the
very high fashion world was in amongst the Japanese at this point. We were all wearing black sort of things. Holes pulled out of (indistinct). It would've been totally unsuitable for a princess of Wales. She obviously then started to look at what she actually did look like, and she felt "Well,
maybe I could, you know, have a bit more neck showing
and so on and so forth." To nowadays when she's absolutely, I mean, she doesn't, you know, she's just so confident that
it doesn't make any difference. So the difference is extraordinary from that sort of chin down
with closed, was clothed. And now it's sort of wonderfully, and sort of, she just feels comfortable in anything she wears. - [Marion] By the mid '80s Diana's more mature, uncluttered
style was already established. She'd become the ultimate
fashion icon intent on promoting British designers. Bruce Oldfield helped her
develop a new evening look. - Bruce was the first
person, I think really, to introduce her to a kind of swathed, more sort of glamorous
film starry sort of look. I mean, she did have those dresses before, but they were sort of, they were much more the sort of bustier with the big skirt. And Bruce tended to
make them kind of slinky and rather wonderful and sort of gathered, and with the kind of thing here. So I think he freed her and made her aware that she could perhaps
be a bit more shapely with the evening clothes, rather than just wear the classic hunting, shooting, fishing ball
dress that you tend to get. So I think he probably pushed her in that direction quite fast. - [Marion] Diana resurrected the British millinery industry when hats became an
integral part of her look. - She wears them so be for now. And I think in the early stages, she wore them in the way
English women wear hats to weddings, plunked on the
head with a veil pulled over, or the fluff, the feather. And she in very, very, very
fast, we found her wearing them, where they should be worn,
which is across here. I mean, despite the fact
that the photographers probably couldn't get into the eyes, or couldn't see anything. But she really, almost
immediately, maybe two years into being Princess of Wales, and having to wear a lot of hats, she suddenly realized she had to wear them the way they should be worn. Because she has great
shoulders and terrific posture. She looks marvelous with
those very broad hats. And once you wear those hats, you actually begin to like wearing them. She really does look like,
you know, she could be a Vogue cover wearing those hats, because she wears them properly. And she wears them with the right outfits, which is terribly important. - [Marion] The right outfit costs money. From her engagement in
1981, Diana's clothes are estimated to have cost
over 10,000 pounds a month, totaling over a million pounds
during a nine-year period. Now with a higher cost of clothes, that's increased to one
and a quarter million for her present wardrobe. All this doesn't include what she spends on maintaining a model's figure. - Now for a silhouette, a narrow silhouette, you need to be slim. And so of course, she had
to work at slimming down. So there's been the swimming at Buckingham Palace in that pool. She's done that very religiously,
swum a tremendous amount. The gym, she now has a
personal trainer coming to her the whole time. She spends a very great deal of money, if you'd like to look at
it in financial terms, on the infrastructure,
that's what I'd call it. We're not talking about the makeup here, although, she's been wearing increasingly quite a lot of makeup. But we're not talking about cosmetics, we're talking about the foundations here. - [Marion] Charles' private income from the Duchy of Cornwall
bankrolled her image building. This witty Catherine
Walker suit would have cost around two and a half thousand pounds. - The way she can wear those dinner suits. She wore this one with what's
called a trompe l'oeil. It's a kind of fake waistcoat
at the front, fake vest. And it was so trim, and
neat and very smart. And yet at the same
time, it's sort of funny, it's a take on menswear. It's also a joke on those stuffed shirts that British men have to
wear on official occasions. It's a tremendous fun outfit.
Her looking at her best. - [Marion] Knowing she looks her best has given Diana increased confidence. - Have you noticed with
Diana how her skirt, her hem line, and her
shoe heels have gone up, now that she feels more independent and better about herself? Those Jimmy shoes she wore, a young British designer
who makes lively shoes, quite expensive, they cost 250 pounds. You know, nearly $500 a pair. But they give Diana
the right kind of look. Slightly sexy, isn't it? And something that makes her look like an independent young woman. - [Marion] The key to Diana's rise as a fashion icon is her relationship with the shy and reclusive
designer, Catherine Walker. French born, and like Diana, 5'10" tall, she's the only designer
not to have gone out of favor in 15 years. - The Princess of Wales, once
she was married, realized that she was going to get so much attention she
needed to perhaps be guided. And I think she turned
to the editor of Vogue for some advice as to who she could go to. And Catherine Walker's name came up, and that's how it all began. - [Marion] By 1989,
Diana's Catherine Walker streamlined look was firmly established. But this beaded evening down for a visit to Hong Kong was a new high. At around 5,000 pounds Diana had supreme comfort and elegance. - One thing that Catherine
always manages to do is to disguise the
intricacy of the tailoring. And when you put it on
something to do with the lining, which invariably is
wonderful, soft silk satin, it feels like it won't move. You have total confidence
when you wear something. And it's like a work of art, it's like a sculpture in itself. You actually get terribly excited about wearing it for the first time. Whatever mood she might be in, however depressed she might be, however exhausted she might be, she puts that gown on,
she has the high collar. She looks distinguished almost, you know, without having to add any jewelry, and have her hair done and her makeup. (light synthesizer music) - [Marion] Another foreign
tour success was India in 1992. Again, Catherine Walker came up with something unexpected,
elegant, and utterly appropriate. Her meticulous research and
attention to detail is renowned. (bright, bouncy synthesizer music) - Catherine absorbs the
environment, the surroundings. She will probably have looked at pictures, and books of India and the places that the princess was likely to visit, and designed outfits that
would actually not clash, but that would somehow blend, and enhance the surroundings
and the settings. And there's no doubt that
India is a very exotic place. It's full of color. There is a sense of willowy glamor. It's color, but it's simple. And if you look at the
architecture behind her, there's immense detail. It's very detailed, and, if
you like jewel-encrusted. That's the feeling you
get from the Taj Mahal. You look at the princess
sitting there in all simplicity, she's wearing three colors,
which is quite difficult. I mean, you wouldn't
normally put an outfit to go with three blocks color. In this instance, it works
because you're surrounded by detail and therefore,
she looked perfect. - [Marion] On a visit to
Pakistan without Charles, Diana made an impact as a royal ambassador in her own right. As usual for this official tour, the foreign office and
taxpayer footed the bill, which included this Catherine
Walker evening dress costing around two and a half thousand pounds. Diana carried it off to perfection. - I think she has a very
strong sense of self. She's developed it over the years, with Catherine's help I think as well. She would probably have known that she's going to a
country where a lot of people may not have seen a princess
in real life before. And therefore she's enhancing that image. I think if ever there was a dream princess in people's minds, it
has to be princess Diana. And that is the dress that
you would want to be seen in. It's light, it's pale
pink and it's romantic. It's every little girl's dream. - [Marion] Diana's wardrobe is now vast. When stored her dresses span the width of 10 average terraced houses. And she has a seven-foot
rack just for white blouses. But she does revamp and recycle. Here, the dress worn in Pakistan is seen again at a royal
variety performance. - She's been known to
wear the same outfits to a wedding and a function. I don't think she has a problem with that. as long as she knows that she
feels comfortable and elegant. I think really, what matters is, wearing an outfit that is designed to give you maximum confidence, so that you're never aware
even of a shifting waistline, or a shoulder that's slightly off, or a split at the back
that reveals too much. And that really comes
down to the tailoring, that's the secret. (crowds cheering) - [Marion] On her wedding
day, Diana's dress did not live up to these
exacting standards of design, but in all the euphoria surrounding the occasion, few noticed. Optimism about this
fairytale princess marrying her prince charming was rife, as 700 million people
watched what was billed as the wedding of the century. - Lady Diana Spencer's wedding day was really extraordinary
in that never, I think, can the anticipation been
so great, the pressure. I mean the people were crowded
around television sets, even if they weren't in
the streets at the time. And everybody wanted
to know what this girl, and she was a girl, she was extremely shy, extremely
nervous, extremely young. We wanted to knew what
she was going to wear. And so it was a kind
of extraordinary event of this young girl getting
out of this carriage. And the dress kept on coming. I mean, the train kept on coming.
One was absolutely amazed. - [Marion] The silk taffeta
dress with its 25-foot train was designed by David
and Elizabeth Emmanuel. It was not a success. - I was sitting immediately
behind the royal family. And I remember looking down the aisle as she came through the door, and sort of gathered herself
with her bridesmaids and so on. And I mean, everybody was
rushing round in panic, because this dress was completely crumpled like a piece of tissue paper. It looked as if it had never been ironed. It had got fantastically
crushed in the carriage, which was a problem that
nobody had anticipated. And that must've been really, well, horrid for her in a way on this very, very special day with all these other pressures. - [Marion] Diana seemed unconcerned on her way back to the
reception at Buckingham Palace, but she still had to contend
with further dress problems. An open carriage is not an
ideal way of transporting a large wedding dress with a train. - Most of them are very
itchy on the inside too. And then you're squashed in this carriage, and then you're trying to get out. And then if the fabric's not coming, I'm surprised she didn't just rip it off. And why they didn't give
her a detachable train that then she could take off when she's finished walking up the aisle. Which the majority of wedding
dresses that we shoot are, and do have detachable trains. Why they didn't do that
seemed kind of cruel. It was a bit as if she was badly advised, and as if people thought,
yes, you're so young that we will stick you in this dress that really a little girl
would look very cute going to a party in, stick a long train onto it, and then send you down a red rug. I wonder actually how
much say she had in it. Whether she was completely bulldozed into something that was
appropriate and very classic, and this is what you're supposed to wear. And she said, "Okay."
(crowds cheering) But my personal theory is
that Camilla took her shopping for a wedding dress
anyway and chose the one that looked most horrible on her. (crowds cheering) - [Marion] Four years later
in 1985, Diana and Charles were in Italy for an official tour. It was a huge success with the Italians turning
out in their thousands. Public perception of them as the golden fairytale
couple were still on solid. (children yelling) But in reality, the fact that the crowds were always more interested in
seeing a glamorous princess, than a middle-aged prince was rubbing salt in the wound of Charles' dented ego, and adding to their
estrangement behind the scenes. (crowds cheering) Their happy double act was a sham. They were merely playing roles for the sake of their audience. Charles, used to center
stage, couldn't cope with the constant adulation of his wife. It set the seal on an
already rocky marriage. - When Diana came along, she usurped Prince Charles,
in terms of popularity, the public turned out to
see her, not to see him. And he was deeply irritated by this. He was offended, he
would complain about it. He was, I think actually, at the bottom of his
heart, very angry about. - [Marion] Charles found his
thunder stolen yet again, on the night his television
profile was aired in June 1994. Despite admitting his adultery, it was Diana who got
most front page coverage. She chose that particular night to arrive at the Serpentine Gallery in a stunning outfit by
Christina Stambolian. An off the peg impulse
buy, which had lain hidden in her private wardrobe for three years. Diana knew exactly what she was doing. - You can guarantee that if there is some grand royal occasion, that the day before
Diana will do something, which guarantees the headlines. It happens every time, and
once would be a coincidence, but after 10 or 12 years
of it, it's by design. She knows exactly what she's doing. She is deliberately upstaging
Prince Charles, her husband. (bells gonging) - [Marion] But as Princess
Margaret, Lord Snowden, and their daughter Sarah
arrived for the family wedding of Lord David Lindley, they
need have had any fears that Diana would try
and upstage the bride. Diana knew exactly what was appropriate. Catherine Walker supplied an
outfit of understated elegance. - She turned up wearing a
kind of dove blue jacket, and cream skirt, and
cream and dove blue hat. I mean, it was a very quiet color. I mean, she could have, I
suppose, come more quiet in soft yellow or something, but the blue looks very
beautiful on her with her eyes. Still it was very subdued, and I don't think it was inappropriate, or drew attention away
from the bride whatsoever. It was a completely correct
outfit for a wedding. - [Marion] In contrast
the actress Raquel Welch wasn't so thoughtful. - She showed up to her son's wedding, and completely drew attention away from her daughter-in-law to be, because she wore an
incredibly wide-brimmed hat, and this very tight, sexy skirt. And no one was looking at the bride, because everyone was looking
at her, and she was loving it. So glad she's not my mom. (chuckles) (bright, regal horns music) - [Marion] Diana now faces life as the first divorced
Princess of Wales in history, a semi-detached royal,
mother to a future king, but stripped of her
Royal Highness standing. In her Panorama interview,
she stated that she wanted to forge a new, useful role as a world ambassador for Britain, like her visit to Nepal for the Red Cross. To do that she knows
that where her clothes once attracted the media, her work must now catch the headlines. By sticking to simple classics,
she's already doing that. - She needs to feel that people are going to take her seriously, first of all. She's there to carry out a job, be it as a carer visiting a hospital, or somebody walking around. She is here on business. She needs to feel that nothing is going to detract from that. Even though she needs to create an impact, nothing must detract from
the job that she's doing. She doesn't want to be seen
as a fashion victim, clearly. She is a trendsetter. She
has a lot to live up to. She set a lot of precedents, and some real showstoppers along the way, but she never would want
to be seen as somebody who was falling victim to
everybody else's influence. She has to be there, if you
like, ahead of the pack, and keep classical. And I think her role and the regal side to her job actually keeps that in check. (drums rattling) - [Marion] Something else
that will keep extravagance in check will be her reduced income as the ex-wife of Prince Charles. The divorce settlement of
around 17 million pounds will give her the apparently huge income of half a million a year. But when compared to the annual
one and a quarter million she used to receive from Charles
as Duchy of Cornwall funds, she's taken a big cut. From now on, she'll have
to watch what she spends, and perhaps buy more off the peg, even if it is a Jackie
Kennedy style suit by Versace, costing around two and
a half thousand pounds. (bright, regal brass horns music) (paparazzi yelling) - Diana! Can you give- - [Marion] However, she
spends her money Diana will continue to attract the world's attention wherever she goes. (bright, regal horns music) - She is a superstar. And wherever she goes,
people want to see her. And governments will welcome her, they will lay on banquets for her. They will create, if you like,
state occasions around her. And maybe we won't see what
the press have thrived on in the last few years, which is the war of the Waleses. They will actually come to see that she has a role to fulfill, which is quite separate from
that of the Prince of Wales. But at the same time,
there will be no fighting, there will be no infighting. In fact, if you like, it
will be splitting the two, and maybe it's a great
service to this country, and she can still go on
being an ambassadress abroad. (bright, regal orchestral music)
