The Princess & The Platypus Foundation

  Some dresses become famous because of how they look. Others become famous because of where they ended up. That was often the case with Murray Arbeid designs . His gowns weren't simply worn to glamorous occasions; they appeared at some genuinely memorable royal events, often becoming part of the story themselves. Years later, people still talk about the events, the guests, and surprisingly, the dresses. Murray Arbeid Was a Familiar Name in Royal Circles During the 1980s, Murray Arbeid built a reputation for elegant evening wear that stood out without looking overly theatrical. His designs had a certain confidence to them. Rich fabrics. Strong shapes. Plenty of attention to detail.   It isn't difficult to see why society figures and royal guests were drawn to them. Back then, major royal gatherings were covered extensively by newspapers and magazines. A striking gown could end up photographed almost as much as the people wearing it. The Windsor Castle Story People St...

When people talk about Princess Diana's fashion , certain names always come up. Catherine Walker. Bruce Oldfield. Elizabeth Emanuel. Paul Costelloe sometimes gets mentioned too, although maybe not as often as he should.   Which is slightly odd when you think about it, because he was there during some very important years. If you've spent any time browsing through The Princess Diana Museum collection, you'll probably notice his name appearing again and again. After a while you start thinking, "Okay, this wasn't a one-off collaboration." Not even close. Before Diana Became "Diana" One thing that gets lost when looking back at old photographs is how young she actually was. We tend to remember the confident Diana from later years. The woman stepped out of cars looking completely comfortable with cameras pointed at her from every angle. Early Diana felt different. I'm a little shy sometimes. A little unsure in certain photographs. Which is under...

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...