Pastel Blue Chiffon Gonzaga Gown

One of Diana's very early princess gowns was this ethereal sky pastel blue painted chiffon gown shot with silver and crystal sequins and beads that cemented Diana's place in history as a fairytale princess. Made by Bellville-Sassoon, it made its first outing in November 1981 at the "Splendours of the Gonzaga" exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum for which it was nicknamed. However its greatest fame came from Diana being photographed wearing it that evening while seated in a throne-like chair, a real life sleeping beauty who publicly nodded off the night before her first pregnancy was announced.

The gown was also reputedly one of the Queen's favourite Diana looks, a big poufy ballgown and although gorgeous, it was an antithesis of her later, trimmed-down style of sleek, anything but demure, sexy column gowns.  It featured swirls of pink, blue and lilac swirls swept throughout the full skirt and off-shoulder ruffles at the neckline, which featured a gather held in place by blue satin ribbon tied in a bow, echoing the wide blue satin waist sash and a slim ruffle at the hem of the skirt. The skirt was held up by yards upon yards of white tulle netting petticoats, which gave the skirt structure and supported it like a floating cloud as she walked. [video]

Diana wore it for its eponymous debut with a multi-strand pearl choker, her multi-strand pearl bracelet, and her platinum tear-drop shaped white stone earrings (sometimes these have been labelled as opals, supposedly matching the central stone of the choker). The choker was revealed after the Queen's to have a multidiamond centre. She added her fresh-water pearl necklace for the Royal Variety Show in 1984, and her gold Prince of Wales' Feathers brooch as a pendant on a chain with long pearl-drop earrings to the premiere of Gandhi in 1982. I'm sure I've seen black and white photos (which I cannot find!) that suggest she wore the gown to private events for years. 

I've often wondered what happened to it and suspect it was lent around Diana's circle then was loved to death. I was surprised when it didn't surface in the auction and I believe it would have realised bids on a scale with the Travolta gown, due to its beauty and association with the pregnancy announcement. It's quite a delicate fabric and likely to snag.

Not for lack of trying, I've never been able to find a photo of Diana in a tiara with this gown. I'm sure one must exist because of its princessy-ness.

This is the look that made me first want a doll of Diana. I wasn't convinced by the cobalt blue engagement announcement suit or the wedding gown. Although I was intrigued by the black taffeta gown worn to Charles' and Diana's first "official engagement" (sometimes mistaken as an "engagement gown," the colour did seem an odd choice as romantic and black aren't two concepts I'd link, even when I was 19.   

I liked the green taffeta formal engagement portrait, but felt it was a bit too "too" (if that makes any sense...too big, too green, trying too hard worn with an over the top top diamond chandelier parure, when the bride wearing borrowed gems from a jeweller was marrying into a family with a literal JEWEL HOUSE at its beck and call.)  I was charmed by the cantaloupe silk going-away skirt suit and tickled by the tricorn hat with its plumes.  I was a bit into white frilly blouses before Diana became famous, both pie-crust collars and frilly jabots.  But this gown really brought out my inner collector and struck a perfect chord for expectations of what a modern princess looked like.

Sadly, no one came out with anything close. Despite the buzz at the time, despite the various Nisbet creations, the Goldberger set, despite the Danbury wardrobe collection, this gown was somehow missed.

If FM had actually done this, I'd have wanted an all-out effort, using the porcelain sculpt from their bride doll seated and including a red chair similar to the Princess of Sheer Enchantment porcelain. Nothing less would do.

However I'd be afraid FM would cut corners on finishing the gown or do something silly like add the wrong jewellry. As it is, it was a good call not to do the People's Princess in the Gonzaga gown as her face wasn't the dewy-faced ingenue from early photos.

That's a big ask, so I wouldn't want them distracted; just to keep track of the main points:  the fabric colours and shading, the Gonzaga night accessories, the doll's face and hair, and mostly the gown design.

What I *have* found is that this gown has been immortalised as a cake.  I do think it would be a crime to cut into that skirt, but there's no doubt about who this is, despite the Avon lady facial explosion of cosmetics.

Let's look at the wardrobe wishes now, shall we?