Lady Dior and the Book Tote: Two Icons of Avenue Montaigne
Dior has made many celebrated bags, from the Saddle to the Bobby, but two define the house today. One is a structured top-handle bag stitched in a pattern taken from a chair; the other is an open canvas tote embroidered from end to end. Between them they cover formal and everyday Dior.
The Lady Dior
The bag was first presented in 1995 under the name Chouchou. That autumn it was given to Diana, Princess of Wales, during a visit to Paris, and she carried it so often that Dior renamed it in her honour the following year.
Cannage
The quilted lattice on the Lady Dior is called Cannage. It comes from the cane-backed Napoleon III chairs that Christian Dior used to seat guests at his first show in 1947, and the house has used the pattern on bags, boxes and perfume bottles ever since. On a Lady Dior the lambskin or calfskin is topstitched in the pattern, so the lattice should be even, with rows that meet cleanly at the seams.
Details to know
- The charms: four letters, D.I.O.R., hang from one handle on a ring. They should move freely and show even plating.
- Sizes: from the micro and mini to small, medium and large. The medium is the classic proportion.
- Straps: most modern Lady Dior bags include a detachable shoulder strap; check that it is present.
- Materials: lambskin is the most traditional and the softest; patent leather and grained calfskin wear harder.
The Book Tote
The Book Tote appeared in Dior's Spring/Summer 2018 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman to lead the house. It is inspired by a 1967 drawing by Marc Bohan from the Dior archive, the same period in which Bohan introduced the Dior Oblique monogram. The bag is an open rectangle with two handles, embroidered across its whole surface with the word DIOR or the house name in full on the front.
How it is made
The first embroidered versions took more than thirty-seven hours and about 1.5 million stitches each. Dior has since made the Book Tote in Oblique, Toile de Jouy, camouflage, houndstooth, denim and smooth or embossed calfskin, as well as one-off designs for each season. Many owners have their names embroidered on the bag through Dior's personalisation service, which makes a personalised tote a mark of a bag bought new from the house.
Sizes
Dior has made the tote in several sizes, from the mini to the large, and the names have shifted over the years. Measurements are the surest guide when comparing two bags.
What to check
- Lady Dior: corners and handle bases, the edges of the charms, and whether the bag holds its shape. Lambskin scuffs easily and darkens at the handles.
- Book Tote: the embroidery on the base and corners, which touch the ground first; any pulled threads; and the interior, which can mark because the bag is open.
- For both, the interior leather tag and heat stamp should be crisp, and the date or production code should suit the period of the design.
Why Japan
Dior has a long and loyal following in Japan, and Japanese owners often keep cards, dust bags and boxes. Lady Dior bags bought for occasions and carried a handful of times appear there in fine order.