The ultimate guide to Princess Diana's go-to fashion brands (and where to shop them)

princess diana fashion brands
(Image credit: Rex)

We've already told you all about Kate Middleton's fashion brands, as well as Meghan Markle's go-to shops, so we thought it was about time we compiled a guide to Princess Diana's favourite designers and high-street stores too.

After all, Princess Diana's iconic style inspired future Royals in more ways than one, like the time the Duchess of Cambridge's maternity dress was a nod to the late Princess, or when Meghan Markle wore her blue ring on her wedding day.

Diana's style varied over the years, from her Sloane-ranger blazer and jeans combo to her sleeker 90s dresses, but there were a few brands she always went back to. You can shop them below...

Princess Diana wearing Catherine Walker

Whether it's a power suit or an evening gown, Catherine Walker was Diana's go-to designer no matter the occasion. Founded in 1977 by Cyrus and his wife Catherine Walker, it became famous in the 80s and 90s thanks to the Royal. Some of her most famous outfits include, but are not limited to, a powder pink ballgown (like the one Meghan Markle wore at Trooping the Colour), a Dynasty-esque green sequin dress and that pearl gown that was fondly nicknamed 'the Elvis dress'.

princess diana fashion brands

Princess Diana wearing Catherine Walker in 1989 in Hong Kong. Picture: Rex

She famously wrote to the designer after wearing a white lace dress after her separation from Prince William, telling her 'I was so proud and felt very confident to stride out there and deliver my first speech since the divorce.'

You can buy Catherine Walker designs in store.

Princess Diana wearing Christina Stambolian

You'll no doubt have heard of the Revenge dress, which Diana wore for her first appearance since Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with Camilla. She wore the black design to the Serpentine gallery, paired with her famous sapphire choker (here's what happened to it and the rest of her jewellery after she died). What you might not know is that she was meant to wear Valentino that evening, but the brand released a statement earlier that day about it, which put her off.

princess diana style influence

REX/Shutterstock

So she went with the Greek fashion designer instead, and it all blew up from there. Other fun fact: she had actually been sent this dress three years previously, but was at the time worried it was too revealing. You can buy her designs on eBay.

Princess Diana wearing Versace

Princess Diana was very good friends with Gianni Versace ('I am devastated by the loss of a great and talented man' she said when she found out about his death), and wore his designs a lot in the 90s. She famously posed on the cover of Harper's Bazaar wearing an embellished blue dress, and wore a gorgeous one-shoulder silk gown to a charity ball in Sidney in 1996.

princess diana fashion brands

Photo: Rex

Shop now: VERSACE Contrast-trim crepe dress for £1,141 from MatchesFashion.com

princess diana fashion brands

Princess Diana wearing Bruce Oldfield

Princess Diana met Oldfield through her work at Barnado's and wore his couture dresses from the mid 80s to mid 90s, when her style changed, at which point she stopped wearing his designs. Some of his dresses include an off-the-shoulder navy dress which she wore at a dinner in 1987 and a gala in 1988, and was later auctioned off for £45,000 at Christie's.

princess diana fashion brands

Princess Diana wearing Dior

There's a reason Dior has a bag named after Diana (the Lady Dior FYI): she was one of their most loyal customers. The bag, which had another name at the time, was given to Diana by the French First Lady, Bernadette Chirac. She loved it so much that she ordered it in every version, which prompted Dior to name it after her.

princess diana lady dior

Photo: Rex

Shop now: Mini Lady Dior bag in black patent calfskin for £2,350 from Dior

Princess Diana wearing Bellville Sassoon

You might not have heard of David Sassoon, but he created over 70 gowns for Princess Diana over the course of two decades, and is credited for taking her from Sloane Ranger to fashion icon status. She famously wore a bright floral-patterned dress to visit children in hospital, and a pink floral dress for Prince William's christening in 1982.

princess diana fashion brands

Photo: Rex

Princess Diana wearing Emanuel

Diana's fairytale showstopper from her 1981 royal wedding was created by Welsh designer duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The dress was made of ivory silk, pure taffeta and antique lace, with 10,000 pearls and sequins, and had a 25 ft train

princess diana

Credit: REX

Princess Diana wearing Ferragamo

Everyone talks about the Lady Dior bag, but did you know Ferragamo also named a bag after Diana? The late Princess owned over 20 variations of the chain strap bag, which was named the Lady Di after her death.

princess diana fashion brands

Photo: Rex

Shop now: SALVATORE FERRAGAMO Ginny medium leather shoulder bag for £915 from MatchesFashion.com

Princess Diana wearing Chanel

Princess Diana was a big Chanel fan, and was especially fond of the bags and shoes, though she sadly didn't wear the brand after her divorce. The reason she couldn't wear Chanel anymore was because the interlocked Cs reminded her of Charles and Camilla.

princess diana fashion brands

Photo: Rex

Shop now: Chanel flap bag for £4,220 from Chanel

There's no denying Princess Diana was very loyal to the designers she loved, which included lots of British up-and-coming names, who she supported even after her divorce, which was a turning point in her style. You could even say she paved the way for Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.