The Dior handbag renamed Lady Dior in 1995 received its name after Princess Diana was given one by France’s first lady.
The bag was originally called Chouchou. Bernadette Chirac, then the wife of French president Jacques Chirac, presented it to Diana during the princess’s visit to Paris in 1995. Diana subsequently carried the design frequently, and Dior renamed it Lady Dior in reference to her.
Its visual signatures include a structured rectangular body, rounded handles, cannage quilting and dangling letter charms spelling D-I-O-R. The bag is sometimes confused with Dior’s Saddle, whose curved profile is very different, or with the Book Tote, a large open tote introduced much later.
Lady Dior became closely linked with Princess Diana’s public style, although the design itself originated at Dior rather than being created specifically for her.