The thought of what may have happened if Princess Diana had survived the vehicle accident that claimed her life in August 1997 at the age of 36 is painful. Although we will never know, an exclusive interview with designer Jacques Azagury in Vogue gave us a sneak peek at what the late Princess of Wales had planned for September in terms of fashion.
Azagury claims that when he learned of the Princess of Wales’s death, he was completing a dress that she was scheduled to wear at the September 1997 premiere of a Disney movie. And the worst part is this: It was supposed to be the “most risqué” of Azagury’s daring designs for Diana.
According to the article, he collaborated with the princess when she began her divorce period to develop what would become known as the “Famous Five,” a reference to five distinct looks the designer created for events ranging from her 36th birthday to a night at the ballet.
This is a significant revelation since, up until now, Azagury had never discussed the sixth dress that was in the works when Diana passed away, mostly because he felt it was too sensitive a topic for him to touch on. He tells Vogue, “I just feel like it was very personal to me.”
Princess Diana’s iconic ‘revenge’ dress, worn the night Prince Charles publicly admitted to being unfaithful to her [1994] pic.twitter.com/v6LZEEa6yb
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) April 30, 2024
According to the Princess Diana Museum, the designer and Diana remained close throughout Diana’s royal life after being introduced by Anna Harvey, the editor of British Vogue at the time, in 1987. The designer produced around 20 looks for the Princess of Wales in total, but he believed that the Famous Five best embodied the “look he wanted for her.”
princess diana wearing a baby blue cocktail dress by jacques azagury, she initially asked for the dress to be made shorter but jacques advised against it pic.twitter.com/6xJCxKr3CB
— e🐅 (@divineysl) August 14, 2022
What about the sixth? It was going to be even more spectacular. Known as the Final Goodbye Dress, it featured a plunging neckline, a high front slit, and pure silk georgette with hand-beading all over. Azagury told Vogue that Diana’s favorite color was black. A week before her passing, the third and last fitting was held. It looked very gorgeous on her. This was supposed to be the dress that stood out from the rest. Additionally, she looked stunning,” the designer says. (Here are some sneak peeks at the dress.)
In the interview, which is worth reading in its entirety, Azgury goes on to say that the late Princess of Wales was “the best and happiest I had ever seen her” during their 1997 work on what would be their last project together. We say it again: It’s hard to imagine what may have been.
