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How Princess Diana's Showstopping 1987 Cannes Dress Honored Mentor Grace Kelly
Princess Diana honored Grace Kelly at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival with a Catherine Walker gown inspired by the iconic royal's timeless style
The creative connection between Princess Diana and Walker drew inspiration from a blue Edith Head gown famously worn by the Academy Award-winning Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock ’s iconic 1955 film, To Catch a Thief, which, fittingly, was shot on the French Riviera. Anwar Hussein/Getty ImagesFast-forward to 1987, Diana completed her carefully considered look with flat baby blue shoes (which, according to the new 2025 Cannes Film Festival dress code, would be against protocol for women on the red carpet), elegant aquamarine and diamond chandelier earrings and a matching bracelet. The Princess of Wales at a performance of Miss Saigon in September 1989.Princess Diana Archive/Getty ImagesDemonstrating both her sentimental attachment and her astute understanding of her iconic status, she later chose the Cannes gown to be part of her groundbreaking 1997 Christie’s auction, where she famously sold off 79 of her most memorable dresses.
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