Elizabeth Debicki’s The Crown premiere custom Dior look inspired by Princess Diana took 300 hours to make

The black silk crepe strapless design featured a similar ribbed draped bustier as the baby blue Catherine Walker dress Diana, Princess of Wales, whom Elizabeth plays in The Crown, wore to Cannes in 1987
the crown Elizabeth Debicki Princess Diana Dior
Instagram/@dior

The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki has really stepped up her game in terms of style. But the season five premiere of the Netflix show dictated a classic mood that transcended the trend cycle. The brand that happily obliged with a dress fit for a princess? Dior, of course.

Debicki at the Royal Albert Hall premiere of The Crown season five.

Instagram/@dior

Princess Diana at Cannes Film Festival, 1987.

The symbolism of Debicki’s Dior haute couture spring/summer 2022 gown was not lost on royal style watchers. The black silk crepe strapless design featured a similar ribbed draped bustier to that of the baby-blue Catherine Walker dress Diana, Princess of Wales, whom Elizabeth plays in The Crown, wore to Cannes in 1987. The jet-black shade of the modern dress also evoked the period which is fictionalised in the new series, in which Diana redefines royal style by, amongst many things, frequently wearing black – a colour previously only worn as a mark of respect during periods of mourning.

Debicki’s open-back gown is from the Dior haute couture spring/summer 2022 collection, dedicated to craftsmanship.

“The collection celebrates the atelier,” said Maria Grazia Chiuri. “The atelier is different to what it was in the past. It’s not just Avenue Montaigne. It’s something that exists around the world.”

The new silhouette, though striking in its simplicity, took two members of the Dior atelier some 300 hours to perfect and is emblematic of the craft-centric ethos of the house, which named its Lady Dior bag after Diana in 1996. Styled with Bois de Rose rings, bracelets and ear cuffs in yellow gold, pink gold and diamonds, as well as Rose Dior Couture earrings in pink gold and diamonds from Dior Joaillerie, the statuesque look continued a long relationship between brand and princess. As Debicki hit the red carpet, it was announced that the actor is now a Dior Joaillerie ambassador – fitting considering the metaphors at the heart of the jewellery Diana wore, particularly after her split from Prince Charles. As the drama unfolds around plot lines of The Crown, Debicki can be confident in the knowledge she has continued the tradition of quintessentially Diana looks, loaded with meaning.

The stripped-back edit was something of a couture reset for Chiuri, who paid homage to the artisans at the heart of the brand. 

Black, for all its symbolism, looked particularly striking on Elizabeth at The Crown premiere.

This article first appeared on vogue.co.uk

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