Princess Diana’s ‘Revenge Dress’ Is Making a Buzz Again on Netflix (and has been doing it in fashion for years) | Nina

The similarities between actress Elizabeth Debicki and Princess Diana in season 5 of ‘The Crown’ are striking. Especially when she steps out of the car wearing one of Lady Di’s most iconic dresses: the dress of vengeance. Not surprisingly, because the costume designers confess to having recreated that look as faithfully as possible.

A form-fitting black gown with an asymmetrical neckline, off the shoulder, and a chiffon train, Princess Diana’s bold look wowed quite a few. Over time, that look came to be known as hair dress of vengeance of ‘wraakjurk’.

Flash back to 1994, when Princess Diana appeared at a party hosted by London’s Serpentine Galleries in her short black gown that showed off lots of cleavage. She was graceful and elegant, but she went against all the protocols of British royal dress. Her dress reportedly hung in her closet for a while because she thought it was too bold.

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That same evening, a documentary aired on TV in which Prince Charles revealed that he cheated on Camilla Parker-Bowles during his marriage. The reason for taking the dress out of the closet, Lady Di must have thought. According to many, a conscious choice, as if to say: look at what you leave behind.

The carpet was originally designed by Christian Greek Stambolia and made headlines. How come? It was a powerful symbol of defiance: a woman openly showing her partner that he had wronged her. That’s exactly what such dress of vengeance it radiates: that you no longer need your ex and that you celebrate your freedom.

Even today there is a huge fascination for the princess move. This has not gone unnoticed by the designers of the series. Then Emmy Award-winning costume designer Amy Roberts and her team set to work meticulously. “The dress of revenge is an important part of Diana’s marriage and life. It’s one step closer to becoming a strong, independent woman,” Roberts says.

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The designer did not find it easy to copy the dress, as she could not count on the input of the Greek designer who designed the original dress. “It was impossible to contact her,” Roberts says of her colleague. “I certainly hope you are happy with the result.” That consultation was made possible when Roberts and her team ventured into Diana’s wedding dress in Season 4, once again one of the most talked about dresses of all time. For that dress they could count on the help of David Emanuel, the wedding dress designer.

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Either way, on set, both outfits elicited the same response: There was a reverent silence. “When actress Elizabeth Debick got out of the car, there was electricity in the air. That’s what you get with images so ingrained in people’s memories. I found it very moving,” Roberts says. Though the designer doesn’t think it’s the intention to look at each character to see if the wardrobe has been accurately copied historically. “On the show, the actors aren’t necessarily doppelgängers of the people they play, they’re nods to them,” she concludes.

And yet, if you ask us, it’s nearly impossible to miss Princess Diana in this dress and in this scene.

Of dress of vengeance of Diana inspired many women who later followed in her footsteps. Also in the current fashion image we see revealing, even sexy and above all very exuberant clothes. Post-pandemic summer collections were filled with bold pieces: crop tops, corsets, miniskirts. All very suitable for shamelessly showing off one’s femininity and making an ex jealous.

This trend is also reflected on Instagram. Under the hashtags #revengeshopping and #revengedressing, hundreds of examples of people wearing extravagant outfits have been collected.

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