The Dior handbag later associated with Princess Diana was originally called Chouchou.
Dior introduced the bag in 1994, and its early name was Chouchou, a French term meaning “favourite” or “darling.” The structured design features rounded handles, a rectangular body and dangling metal charms. Its cannage quilting was inspired by the Napoleon III-style chairs used in Christian Dior’s Paris couture salon.
The bag became strongly linked with Diana, Princess of Wales, after France’s First Lady Bernadette Chirac gave her a Dior handbag in 1995. Diana was photographed carrying it on several public occasions, and Dior subsequently renamed the style Lady Dior in her honour.
Chouchou is often confused with the later Lady Dior name, but they refer to the same design’s earlier and later identities. The bag is also distinct from Dior’s Diorama, a different structured model introduced under a later creative direction. The Princess Diana connection is therefore central to the bag’s modern name, not its original launch name.