Princess Diana ‘Ripped’ Out Corset of 1996 Met Gala Dress for a ‘Sensuous’ Look, Designer Reveals

Princess Diana’s 1996 Met Gala appearance remains one of her most iconic fashion moments. In a surprising twist, the late Princess of Wales shocked even the designer of her stunning Christian Dior slip dress, John Galliano, by making a bold change right before stepping onto the red carpet. In the new Hulu docuseries In Vogue: The 90s, Galliano revealed the dramatic alterations Diana made to the dress, giving it a 'sensuous' twist.

Diana, invited to the event by her close friend and Harper Bazaar editor Liz Tilberis, wore a navy blue silk slip dress with black lace details from Galliano’s debut Dior collection. Accompanied by a pearl choker and a Lady Dior handbag—later renamed in her honor—Diana looked effortlessly chic. As per Cheat Sheet, Galliano revealed, “I remember one day we all jumped into this old van, and we went to London, where we met Princess Diana. She’d been invited to the Met, and she would wear one of my dresses.”

The designer further added, “It was like a blessing. I mean, wow. We went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings, and I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. ‘No, not pink!’ That was real, real fun.” The dress was created with meticulous attention to detail, complete with a corset that followed the traditional fashion standards of the time.

Yet, as Galliano watched Diana step out of the car at the Met Gala, he was taken aback: “So we did the dress and subsequent fittings, and it was beautifully done. You know, very kind of correct. You know, the corset—everything was correct. Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car. I couldn’t believe it. She’d ripped the corset out.”

The bold choice symbolized more than just a fashion statement. It came in the wake of Diana’s divorce from King Charles III, finalized earlier that year. Diana had left behind the constraints of royal life and was seemingly embracing her newfound freedom, which extended to her style choices.

As Galliano put it, “She didn’t want to wear the corset. She felt so liberated. 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. I mean, wow! Diana was my first couture client.” The 1996 Met Gala marked Diana’s one and only appearance at the famed event, making it a historic moment in fashion, as noted by People.

The now-iconic slip dress has since become synonymous with Diana’s fearless style evolution in the years following her separation from the royal family. Although she briefly hesitated to wear the daring outfit, concerned that her teenage son, Prince William, might find it too revealing, Diana ultimately embraced the bold look, leaving a lasting impact on fashion history. Just months later, Galliano debuted his first couture collection for Dior, where the dress took center stage.