Fashion Sketch

This design by the British fashion designer David Sassoon was for Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Princess wore the outfit to accompany the Prince of Wales to the Guildhall, London on November 5 1981 on the day it was announced she was pregnant with Prince William. It was her first-ever maternity look, and the designer went on to create many more designs for her maternity wardrobe. The Princess wore the coat again on a visit to Wrexham as part of a two-day tour of Wales the following year. On both occasions she completed the look with a hat made by her hat designer John Boyd.

Fashion sketches were sent to clients for approval and comment. Designs for members of the royal family had to be suitable for royal protocol and use for royal duties.

David Sassoon is a leading British couturier and designer known for creating some of Diana, Princess of Wales' most iconic looks. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1958, Sassoon joined the designer Belinda Bellville and they formed the design house and label Bellville Sassoon in 1970. They counted Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and members of the royal family as clients. Belinda Bellville handed over control of the company to David Sassoon in 1981 following her retirement.

Diana, Princess of Wales was introduced to Bellville Sassoon by her mother Frances Shand Kydd. This marked the start of a long-term professional relationship between the Princess and the designer.