Diana: The Secrets of Her Style
Sleek and sophisticated like the princess herself, Diane Clehane'sDiana: The Secrets of Her Stylethoroughly analyzes the princess's role as an international fashion icon. Through interviews with Diana's designers and stylists, original sketches by her designers, and more than 100 photographs,Secretsdetails Diana's evolution from a dowdy, plain schoolgirl to a Versace-touting diva who harnessed the power of glamour to achieve humanitarian goals. Broken into four stages of development, Clehane's book interweaves behind-the-scenes anecdotes with Diana's public image. When the princess wore shimmering, crescent-shaped earrings to meet the leaders of Saudi Arabia, for example, the press reported that the earrings were an extravagant, costly gift from her hosts. In truth, the striking accessory was merely costume jewelry she bought for less than $40 at a popular department store. Another telling insight comes from Diana's hairdresser, Richard Dalton, who styled the princess's coif differently for the state opening of Parliament in 1984: "It knocked the Queen off the front page," and stayed in the headlines for days afterwards. Subsequently, Diana and Dalton were careful about making any changes to her lush locks, for fear of taking limelight from the royals and creating political rifts.--Rebekah Warren