Dior is creating space to celebrate the enduring popularity of its iconic Lady Dior handbag with a dedicated pop-up in the heart of Sydney.

Accelerated to cult status after being brandished by Princess Diana, the handbag, which was originally dubbed the "Chouchou", quickly became synonymous with the late royal after she was gifted it by Bernadette Chirac, the First Lady of France, at the Cézanne Art Exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Princess Diana was so taken with the gesture that it is believed she reached out to Dior personally to order it in every colour. Thus the Lady Dior handbag – an icon – was born.

All these years later the handbag has been reimagined by Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri into contemporary styles like the Lady D-Lite, which shares the same silhouette as the original sans quilting and with the addition of a body strap. Meanwhile, the Lady D Joy Bag takes on a stretched-out horizontal shape, while still retaining the cannage motif and delicate "Dior" charms included as a homage to Monsieur Dior.

Having opened on July 28, the Dior pop-up will showcase these styles, along with a small offering of exclusive iterations of the micro Lady Dior, arriving embroidered with pearls or sequins and another swathed in a rose-gold brocade. Dior will also reveal new versions of the Lady D-Joy Bag, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri who took inspiration from the collaboration between Roger Viver and Dior that began in 1953.

The setting itself is redolent of the unique design of the Lady Dior bag. Nestled within Westfield Sydney, the space points to the cannage motif with its wooden lattice work and geometric design, both inclusions that result in a moody interplay of light and shadow.

Experience the Lady Dior pop-up at Level 3, Westfield Sydney, corner Castlereagh St and Market St, Sydney until September 11, 2022.

Images: Dior & Pinterest