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Princess Diana continues to be a fashion icon even years after her tragic death. The beloved royal has been an inspiration for many celebrities, who have channeled her iconic looks and paid homage to her style, on and off the red carpet.
One of her most innovative looks took place in Australia in 1985, where she wore a blue gown, accessorized with statement jewelry, including a diamond necklace turned into a headband. Her former hairdresser Richard Dalton is revealing the thought process behind the accessory, during the Styling Princess Diana panel in New York City.
“I asked Evelyn, her dresser, for six inches of knicker elastic, [the kind used by] grannies,” he said, confessing that Princess Diana “had sunburn on her neck so we said, ‘Let’s make a headband of it.‘” Dalton accompanied Diana since she was 17, and styled her for royal tours and special appearances and red carpets.
The iconic headband was later worn by Kate Middleton in 2022, this time at the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston, but as a choker necklace, and paired with matching emerald earrings. Her former hairdresser went on to talk about his favorite look.
“My favorite [hairstyle] would be Thailand,” he said about her 1988 ensemble. “[She wore a] purple and shocking pink dress and I said, ‘Why don’t we do orchids?’ I went into the hotel, stealing flowers for the princess. This was my favorite. She loved it.” The pair always tried to have fun with her looks and did innovative creations for her multiple ensembles.