Kristen Stewart on How Her Chanel Costumes in Spencer Tell Their Own Story
Everyone knows Princess Diana—or they think they do. The royal, who would have turned 60 this year, remains a subject of fascination among the public and artists. After capturing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s private struggles following her husband’s assassination in 2016’s Jackie, director Pablo Larraín turned his attention to Diana’s story. His new film, Spencer, offers a fictionalized account of the princess, played by Kristen Stewart, at a turning point during the queen’s annual Christmas holiday at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. The pivotal three days from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day magnify the many problems within Diana’s personal life. Under surveillance by the Windsors’ retinue of courtiers, trapped in failing marriage, and told to keep up appearances while struggling with an eating disorder, she’s far removed from fairy tales.
Larraín frames his film as a fable, exploring the dark side of the monarchy without eschewing the fantasy and beauty that keeps the system going. Diana’s life may be falling apart, but she looks the part of a princess and is surrounded by luxury. That contrast is part of what makes the film powerful. Creating the wardrobe of the allegorical Windsor meant Larraín, costume designer Jacqueline Durran, and Stewart had to be on the same page. Thankfully, they had some help from a fashion giant: Chanel. “Every step of the way, it was a total collaboration,” shared Stewart via email. “We were all in this together: me, Pablo, Jacqueline, and Chanel. It was so intimate.”
Chanel opened its archives to the production, loaning and re-creating vintage pieces for Stewart to wear onscreen. This level of access allowed Durran to heighten the luxurious mood that Larraín and production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas created. “In terms of style and glamour, the collaboration gave the movie something we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she says. “The Chanel pieces added to that aura Diana had as a princess, so it was an incredible match in that sense.”
There are thousands of photographs and articles about Diana to draw from, but the wealth of information was a double-edged sword. “In the beginning, it was an intimidating situation because there were just so many images of her,” says Durran, who focused her attention on photos shot between 1988 and 1992. “What I wanted to find was the logic behind her choices and the key pieces you see her wear during that period. Certain elements repeat—color blocking, gold buttons, contrasting lapels, polo-neck sweaters, and high-waist, slightly cropped jeans with flat pumps.” Figuring out Diana’s staples was crucial. “I had to establish a contrast between the formal and restrictive clothes she wears during her official life and the way she dresses when she can be herself,” says Durran. “To tell this story, you had to see a real difference between those clothes.”
