During Christian Dior’s Fall/Winter 1997 show, Naomi Campbell sauntered down the runway exuding the playful, sexy confidence that was synonymous with John Galliano’s era at the house. Modeling a red cheongsam-style dress and bedecked with beaded necklaces, Campbell posed for a moment with one hand on her hip while the other held up an intriguing little evening bag, fashioned from crimson silk brocade, with silk tassels and a sculptural golden handle. After the show was over, the bag was scarcely seen again.
No, it was not a Lady Dior or Saddle bag (the latter wouldn’t trot out of the Dior atelier for another few years). Unlike those icons, this design was never put into production, disappearing into the prolific creator’s archive.
And that’s a shame, because the bag is a treasure that perfectly embodies the magic of Galliano’s Dior. Equal parts accessory and chinoiserie-style sculpture, it offers a master class in extravagant design. “It’s pure Galliano drama,” says Isabella Latham, of Rebe Archive, who is offering the luxe accessory on 1stDibs. “Rich fabrics, bold shapes and a bit of historical fantasy.”
The bag features several bold elements, but the golden handles are the focal point. Embossed dragons and mythic sea creatures swirl in a halo against a scaly background on either side of the bag, contrasting with the crimson silk of the structured body. A pair of luscious ornamental silk tassels flank the frame for a dynamic touch: One can imagine them swaying hypnotically with Campbell’s signature strut.
“This bag perfectly captures the elegance and theatrical magic {Galliano] brought to Dior in the late ’90s,” says Latham. Few eras in fashion history command such reverence as the designer’s 14-year tenure at the house. The industry landscape of the 1990s and early 2000s was crowded with competing new trends, but Galliano reigned supreme by looking to the past.
His collections frequently highlighted pivotal historical aesthetics and events, like ancient Egypt, the French Revolution and Art Deco. As exemplified here, the Far East was a cultural font that he drew from throughout his career, attracted by the grand theatricality that the region’s heritage offered an industry fixated on grungy minimalism.
Galliano’s elaborate runway sets magnified the emotional performances he encouraged from his supermodel muses, creating an intoxicating spectacle that enthralled audiences over many years. Alongside other renegades like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler, Galliano made a case for decadent, subversive glamour. His extant designs for Dior remain irresistible on the vintage market and red carpets today.
Fall/winter 1997 was Galliano’s first ready-to-wear outing for the house, making this bag an early product of the sumptuous exploration he embarked upon there. “Collectors instantly recognize it as peak Galliano-era Dior — unusual, artistic, and not something Dior made again,” Latham says. With or without Naomi Campbell, the handbag is a true showstopper.
