The Princess & The Platypus Foundation

When people think about Princess Diana's wardrobe, hats usually aren't the first thing that come to mind. It's funny actually.   Most people remember the dresses. The photographs. The big fashion moments that ended up on magazine covers. But if you start looking through older pictures for a few minutes, you begin noticing something else. Diana wore hats... a lot. And quite a few of them came from Philip Somerville . If you've been exploring pieces inside The Princess Diana Museum, you've probably come across his name already. It pops up repeatedly once you start paying attention. Not Every Fashion Influence Gets the Headlines Somerville wasn't one of those designers constantly putting himself in the spotlight. In some ways, that's what makes the story interesting. He wasn't creating outfits that screamed for attention. His role was different. The hats had to work with everything else Diana was wearing. The coat. The dress. The occasion. Even th...

  Princess Diana’s style in the 1990s didn’t just “happen.” It shifted, quite noticeably, and behind that shift were a few key designers who seemed to understand where she was in life at that point. Not just what she should wear, but what she wanted to express, even if it wasn’t said directly.   It wasn’t one designer leading everything. It was a mix, and each one sort of fit into a different phase. Tomasz Starzewski and the Rise of Power Dressing One name that stands out during this period is Tomasz Starzewski . His designs leaned heavily on structure—clean lines, defined shapes, nothing overly decorative. A good example is the white suit Diana wore to the VJ Day 50th anniversary in London. It was paired with a hat by Philip Somerville, and the whole look felt… controlled, deliberate.  What’s interesting is that she wore that same outfit again during a private meeting with the Queen in 1996.  That repetition doesn’t feel accidental. It almost suggests she s...

  There’s something about Princess Diana that people still… hold onto. It’s hard to explain properly. It wasn’t just the way she looked or spoke, or even the fact that she was part of the royal family. It was how she made people feel seen. And that shows up clearly when you look at Princess Diana charities . Step inside her story and experience the legacy firsthand—Get a free estimate today.   Why Princess Diana’s Charities Still Matter When people search about Princess Diana charities , they’re not just looking for names of organisations. They’re trying to understand why her work still feels relevant. She stood beside causes that many people, at that time especially, were uncomfortable even talking about. Things like: HIV/AIDS patients, when fear and misinformation were everywhere Landmine victims, far from the spotlight most people followed Homeless communities, often ignored in plain sight Seriously ill children who needed more than just medical help And she didn’t just...

There’s something about Princess Diana that just… stays. It doesn’t fade the way most public figures do. People don’t just remember her — they sort of feel her story. And not because she was royal, but because she never fully acted like one. If you really think about it, her life wasn’t some distant fairy tale. It had pressure, confusion, emotion… a lot of things people deal with quietly even now. Explore her story up close through a digital museum experience—get access today.   She Chose Connection Over Distance One thing that stands out in the lessons from Princess Diana's life is how she treated people. Not formally, not stiffly… just normally. She shook hands when others wouldn’t. Sat close when others kept space. It sounds small, but it wasn’t. These days everyone talks about connection, but most of it feels… surface level. What she did wasn’t that. It was direct, simple, maybe even a bit uncomfortable at times. But real. Compassion Isn’t Just a Feeling it’s a Prin...

  When people talk about Princess Diana’s style, it’s almost always the big gowns. The dramatic ones. The ones everyone remembers from photos and events. But honestly, that’s not the full picture. What she wore when she wasn’t “on duty”… that’s where things get more interesting. And in that space, Escada had a quiet role. Not loud, not flashy. Just there, doing its thing. Not Everything Was About Looking Royal Somewhere around the early 90s, her style started shifting. You can kind of feel it if you look closely. Less stiff, less… controlled. She didn’t always look like she was dressed for a formal moment anymore. Escada fits into that phase. The brand, led by Margaretha Ley, had this clean, structured but still relaxed vibe. Nothing over the top. It worked for Diana because it didn’t try too hard. And maybe she didn’t want to try too hard either at that point. The Jeans Thing (Which Still Feels Surprising) There’s this detail that stands out— Escada actually made custom je...

When people think about 1980s fashion, they usually go straight to the obvious stuff—huge shoulder pads, loud colors, all that slightly chaotic energy. And yes, that was part of it. But if you actually look at high-end evening wear from that time, it was… different. Much more structured. Dramatic in a very intentional way. One silhouette that really stood out was the mermaid gown. It wasn’t trying to be quiet or minimal. It was meant to be noticed, almost demanded attention in a way. At The Princess and the Platypus Foundation, inside the digital space of the Princess Diana Museum, there’s a piece that kind of sums all this up perfectly—a black velvet and white taffeta gown by Murray Arbeid . It’s one of those dresses that doesn’t just sit there, it sort of tells a story on its own. The Heavy Contrast of Velvet and Taffeta What makes an 80s mermaid gown interesting is the mix of fabrics. Not just for looks, but for structure too. In this Arbeid design, the bodice is made from dee...