From a Napoleon III Chair to the Lady Dior – The Story of the Cannage Pattern

Few fashion houses have held onto a single motif as consistently as Dior has held onto Cannage. On the Lady Dior, the Caro and the 30 Montaigne – look at almost any Dior bag today and you will find this diagonal diamond pattern. It has a history that begins in 1947 with a chair.

Cannage – how a rattan weave became a house signature

On 12 February 1947, Christian Dior held his first fashion show at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. His guests saw the New Look collection that afternoon – nipped waists, emphasised hips, long skirts. A decisive break from the utility dressing the war years had enforced.

What the guests were sitting on was less remarked upon but equally significant: Napoleon III-style chairs with woven rattan seats. Dior had chosen them with his decorator and friend Victor Grandpierre for the salon. The diagonal weave of those chairs – a craft dating to the 18th century – stayed with Dior. In 1953, the pattern appeared for the first time on Dior perfume packaging. In 1961, creative director Marc Bohan incorporated it into clothing. And in 1994, it was quilted into leather and became the defining feature of the Lady Dior.

The pattern has had a name ever since: Cannage. Named after the traditional craft of weaving rattan cane onto furniture frames.

The Lady Dior – how a bag got its name

The Lady Dior is Dior's most sought-after and most value-retaining design. Created in 1994 by Gianfranco Ferré – then creative director of the house – it was initially known only to a small circle of selected clients. Its working name: Chouchou. French for "darling". Briefly also referred to as "Princesse".

In September 1995, Bernadette Chirac, France's First Lady at the time, was looking for a gift for Princess Diana on the occasion of an official visit to Paris. The house of Dior suggested the Chouchou – a bag that had not yet been officially released. It was made in black lambskin and presented to Diana at the opening of a Cézanne exhibition at the Grand Palais.

Diana loved it immediately. Before the year was out, she had ordered several more in different colours from Harrods in London. She wore it at public engagements, at the 1996 Met Gala – the year of her divorce from Prince Charles. In those years, she wore the bag so often that the two became inseparable: Diana and the Lady Dior. In 1996, Dior officially renamed the bag Lady Dior as a tribute. She died in Paris a year later. The name remained.

Today the Lady Dior appears season after season in new colours and special editions. On the resale market, well-maintained pieces – particularly vintage models from the 1990s – are considered stable investments.

The Cannage pattern – which leathers are used

Dior works the Cannage pattern in two primary leather types:

Lambskin The classic material of the Lady Dior. Extraordinarily soft, with the subtle sheen that only lambskin has. The Cannage pattern is precisely quilted into the delicate leather. Lambskin is sensitive to scratches, moisture and colour transfer from dark clothing – anyone who wears a lambskin Lady Dior quickly realises it demands attention.

Grained Calfskin More robust than lambskin, with a lightly visible grain. The Cannage pattern reads as more structured and defined on calfskin. Better suited to everyday use and less susceptible to scratches. The Caro, the 30 Montaigne and the Dior Jolie also use calfskin with Cannage quilting.

How to clean and care for your Lady Dior – what you need to know

For both leather types: no household remedies, no wax. And no alcohol.

Alcohol dries out delicate leather and breaks down the lipids that keep it supple. On lambskin, this effect is visible quickly. Wax builds up in the Cannage stitching and dulls the quilting over time. Wet wipes often contain alcohol or fragrance – even the apparently gentle ones.

GLOWBAG was developed specifically as a leather care for handbags made from delicate leather: water-based, alcohol-free, with natural ingredients including lanolin and orange oil. Leather care without wax and without alcohol – that is the decisive difference from conventional products originally developed for shoes or furniture. Before first use, always test on an inconspicuous area.

Cleaning and conditioning lambskin:

• Cleaning (GLOW CLEANER): Always spray onto the microfibre cloth first – never directly onto the leather. Wipe gently and evenly, never spot-treat. Do not use the brush.
• Conditioning (GLOW CONDITIONER): Apply a thin, even layer, massage in gently and allow to absorb fully. Repeat every 2–3 months.

Cleaning and conditioning calfskin:

• Cleaning (GLOW CLEANER): Spray onto the cloth, or for heavier soiling directly onto the surface. Work in gently with the GLOW BRUSH – including into the Cannage stitching. Remove with a clean microfibre cloth.
• Conditioning (GLOW CONDITIONER): Apply sparingly, massage in, allow to absorb. Every 3–4 months.

Important for both leathers: never spot-treat. The Cannage pattern reacts to uneven moisture distribution with visible tide marks. Always work the entire surface evenly.

GLOWBAG – the essentials for caring for Dior bags

GLOWBAG is a natural leather care for handbags, developed specifically for the delicate leather of high-quality designer bags – water-based, alcohol-free, wax-free. GLOW CLEANER removes dirt, make-up residue and everyday marks from lambskin and calfskin without leaving residue. GLOW CONDITIONER nourishes with lanolin and orange oil, maintains suppleness and protects against environmental damage. For a Lady Dior in lambskin: condition every 2–3 months. For calfskin models: every 3–4 months. No brush on lambskin – always work evenly across the full surface.

Conclusion

The Cannage pattern is older than the Lady Dior itself. It began in 1947 on a chair and is today the most consistent design element of the house of Dior. Owning a Lady Dior means carrying a piece of that history. The right care ensures the leather retains its sheen and structure – and that the bag becomes more beautiful, not duller, with the years.

→ Discover the GLOW DUO SET – natural leather care without wax or alcohol, developed for the delicate leather of luxury handbags.

Further reading: – How to care for your Chanel bag – Lambskin, Caviar & more – Hermès Leather Guide – caring for Birkin & Kelly – How to clean Louis Vuitton canvas – Fake or authentic – how to identify a genuine designer bag

Disclaimer: Brand names such as Dior, Lady Dior and Caro are used for informational purposes only. GLOWBAG has no commercial relationship with Christian Dior SE.