Princess Margaret’s personal style has been enthusiastically referenced in recent fashion collections, at all levels of the market. Many designers, including John Galliano for Dior and Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum, cite her as a direct influence for their work. Princess Margaret’s prominence in contemporary fashion serves as confirmation that her refined dress sense has made her a classic style icon.
John Galliano’s autumn/winter 2005 haute couture collection for Christian Dior celebrated the centenary of Dior’s birthday, and paid homage to the Princess as a couture client. The Daily Telegraph described Galliano’s gowns as being in ‘the style of a young Princess Margaret and the dresses of British debutantes photographed by Sir Cecil Beaton.’
In the same vein, Ian Garlant’s elegant evening creations for Hardy Amies’ contemporary collections retain all the drama of the famous bejewelled evening dresses created by the esteemed London couture house for the Princess throughout her life.
Main image: Princess Margaret’s favourite style of shoes, sling-back with a slight platform heel, as this pair from the 1980s, has come back in fashion in recent years. (Private Collection © Historic Royal Palaces)
