Iconic Handbags - Lady Dior
What makes a good handbag? Handbags vary in design, utility, durability and detailing. There were a number of handbags that became trendy and some became truly iconic. One of the very well-known handbags is Lady Dior.
One of the most recognizable handbags is Lady Dior. First ever Lady Dior handbag came out in 1994 under the Creative Director Gianfranco Ferré. The bag was given as a gift to Princess Diana in 1995 by Bernadette Chirac, then-First lady of France. Since then Princess Diana ordered the bag in other colours and was often seen carrying them.
Lady Dior is made of soft lambskin with the main motif of cannage. It comes in four sizes. Each has a strap which means it can be worn as a cross body bag. Nonetheless due to its A-line shape it is not very practical to wear it as a cross body bag. Despite this limiting feature it does not decrease its popularity.
The handbag was originally made as a carry-on handbag with its rigid handles. One disadvantage is that they don't stay up but fall down and make some noise. I am sure all of you who tried to make a nice picture of your Lady Dior know what I am talking about. There is a trick to keep the handles in place. Just pull each of two handles to the side and move them downwards to the corner.
There is a great attention to detail with each Lady Dior. The thread is exactly the same colour as the colour of the bag. Each bag also has a date engraved inside and lovely D I O R charms. Earlier edition of the bag came with a zipper which was then removed by an internal flap. A zipper made it slightly more tricky to reach the stuff at the bottom of the bag especially when the bag is packed. Internal flap appeared to make it easier. Again, it seems that whether it is a zipper or flap the bag has not lost popularity.
All Dior bags include a leather tag inside the bag that contains a heat stamp. This tag should have a rectangular shape and rounded corners. On the front side of this tag, you will find the logo stamp. Depending on the model of the bag, the logo stamp should have two or three lines. You will find the words “Christian Dior” with “PARIS” in capital letters a bit below. For some purses, “MADE IN ITALY” or “MADE IN SPAIN”. On the backside of this tag, you will find the date code. It is unsure when Dior started incorporating date codes on the tags, but various blogs mention the fashion house started using them around 1997. In the date code, the last 4 digits indicate the month and the year when the bag was made. The first and third numbers indicate the month of manufacturing, the second and fourth numbers indicate the year. For instance, 16-BO-0133 means the bag was made in March 2013. If the bag has a code like RU 0928, the bag was made in February 1998.
Lady Dior was not always Lady Dior. At first named 'favourite' was then renamed Lady Dior after Lady Diana. Apparently, with Lady Diana's permission. The handbag was not only 'favourite' but Lady Diana's favourite. There was no better marketing Lady Dior handbag could have had. Considering its great qualities there is no surprise Lady Diana loved it. Not taking away from the bag's features, the obvious adoration by the Duchess surely helped.
