When former first lady of France Bernadette Chirac gifted a petite black leather bag to Princess Diana in 1995, she unknowingly set the stage for the Lady Dior to become one of the most iconic handbags of all time.
Known initially as Chouchou — a French endearment that can be translated to “darling” or “favorite” — the bag was designed by Dior‘s former artistic director Gianfranco Ferré in 1994. It typically features the house’s cannage quilting pattern, crafted to resemble a rattan weave, and a boxy silhouette that has been reinterpreted season after season.
Princess Diana in a Dior slipdress and a Lady Di Dior bag at the 1996 Met Gala.
The Chouchou was renamed Lady Dior in 1996 as a tribute to Princess Diana. Bernadette Chirac gifted the accessory to Diana in 1995, and the royal carried the bag at multiple public engagements, including at her first Met Gala in New York City.
French event organizer Françoise Dumas told the story behind the gift to WWD in 2022, revealing Chirac had asked her to pick a gift from the Dior boutique for the Princess of Wales. “I had noticed a little bag, which at the time was made of fabric, and so I had it wrapped and sent to the Elysée,” Dumas said.
Dumas phoned Bernard Arnault, the chairman and chief executive officer of Dior’s parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, to inform him of her choice. “He said, ‘Recall the bag immediately.’ Why? Because he was working on a prototype in leather. He had it finished overnight, and the leather version was sent instead,” Dumas said.
Dior’s “Lady Dior Around the World” campaign.
Dior / BRIGITTE NIEDERMAIR
The bag became commonly associated with Princess Diana, who, despite her royal title, was often referred to as Lady Diana, a title inherited from her father and used before her marriage to then-Prince Charles in 1981. Dior paid homage to her, naming the bag Lady Dior.
In 2022, Dior reissued the mini Lady Dior handbag that was carried by Princess Diana at the Met Gala in 1996. Priced at 5,000 euros, the updated version of her blue satin bag was available in a limited edition of 200 pieces.
Over the years, the bag has been reinterpreted in many colors, sizes and materials. Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri has redesigned it in new shades and formats, from Lady D-Lite to Lady D-Joy. Other artists have also created their own Lady Dior design through the Lady Dior As Seen By and Dior Lady Art projects.
Dior’s “Lady Dior Around the World” campaign.
Dior / BRIGITTE NIEDERMAIR
For its spring 2025 campaign, Dior took the Lady Dior on a world trip. Shot by Brigitte Niedermair, the pictures show the bag traveling from Paris to New York, via London. “The Lady Dior reflects the multiple expressions of Dior style, through the prism of audacity, modernity and self-assertion,” the brand said via statement.
Lady Dior and Celebrity Culture
Dior has a tradition of partnering with celebrities to promote its classic bag silhouette. Jisoo of Blackpink starred in a Lady Dior campaign in September 2024. Photographed by Bibi Borthwick, the K-pop singer sported the bag in pictures “embodying an assertive, plural feminine modernity,” according to the brand.
Jisoo x Lady Dior
DIOR / BIBI BORTHWICK
Rosalía has also been a Lady Dior muse, starring in two campaigns for the handbag in 2024.
“When we finally met, I thought that she [Rosalía] would make a perfect Dior ambassador because of how she represents a modern form of womanhood. Rosalía is a young creator who uses her voice to express herself, her strength and her creativity, thereby developing a new language,” Maria Grazia Chiuri said in 2024.
Rosalía x Lady Dior
Dior / Collier Schorr
Notably, French actress Marion Cotillard was the ambassador of Lady Dior for nine years, from 2008 to 2017.
Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Emma Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence and Rihanna are among the stars who have been photographed with a Lady Dior bag over the years.
The Lady Dior bag was also featured in season five of the Netflix series “The Crown,” which showcased Diana’s evolution into a style icon. Different styles of the bag were also seen in “Sex and the City” and “Gossip Girl.”
Dior Lady Art Projects
Since 2016, Dior hosts the Dior Lady Art project, an annual initiative where the Lady Dior handbag is reimagined by global artists, who use the bag as a canvas, incorporating their signature styles and techniques.
The ninth edition, unveiled in November 2024, featured 11 artists from countries such as China, Peru and France. Past collaborators include Faith Ringgold, Mickalene Thomas, Michaela Yearwood-Dan and Jeffrey Gibson.
Jeffrey Gibson’s Lady Dior bag for the Dior Lady Art project.
Adriana Lee
The project produces highly collectible accessories and offers an unique opportunity for artists to promote their art.
Lady Dior Bags
CREDIT © LAURA SCIACOVELLI
Dior currently offers about 80 versions of the Lady Dior bag at dior.com with prices varying from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on size, color and style. The classic style is crafted in lambskin with Cannage stitching, creating a quilted texture, and features gold-finish metal D.I.O.R. charms. It also comes with a removable leather shoulder strap, allowing the wearer to carry it by hand or crossbody.
