Honestly, if you look at photos of Diana Rigg from the mid-sixties, you aren't just looking at a famous actress. You're looking at the moment the "damsel in distress" trope basically died. One specific shot always comes to mind: Rigg as Emma Peel, standing in a karate-chop pose, wearing a black leather catsuit that looks like it was painted on. It's 1965. Most women on TV are still playing the dutiful housewife, but here is Diana, looking like she’s about to dismantle a nuclear warhead with a flick of her wrist.
She was different. Cool. Effortless.
The Secret History Behind Those Catsuits
Everyone remembers the leather. But here’s a weird detail most people miss: those early leather outfits were a nightmare for her. Leather doesn't stretch. When Rigg had to throw a villain across a room—which was basically every Tuesday—the material would frequently split. The production team eventually swapped it for a high-tech (for the time) synthetic "crimplene" or faux-leather fabric designed by Frederick Starke.
John Bates and the Mod Revolution
If you scroll through photos of Diana Rigg from the fourth season of The Avengers, you'll see a massive shift in style. This was thanks to designer John Bates. He wasn’t just making costumes; he was creating a "working mod-girl wardrobe."
- The "Blackboard" Trouser Suit: A wool suit that looked sharp enough to cut glass.
- Exposed Zips: Bates loved these. They added a mechanical, modern edge to her look.
- Low-Rise Hipsters: She was wearing these long before they became a 90s staple.
- PVC Jumpsuits: Often in ice-blue or stark white, which popped on the newly arriving color TV screens.
Bates famously argued with the producers about the length of her skirts. The men on the crew were apparently "horrified" and kept trying to make the hems longer. Rigg fought back. She wanted to look forward, not back at the "tail end of last year’s styles." She won that fight.
The Bond Wedding That Changed Everything
In 1969, Rigg took on the role of Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. There's a publicity still of her and George Lazenby as newlyweds. It’s a bit of a tragic photo if you know the ending of the movie, but it captures Rigg in a way The Avengers never did. She’s wearing a delicate white lace jumpsuit with a matching cape.
It’s feminine, but still "Rigg." She wasn't a "Bond Girl" in the traditional sense; she was a Bond woman. She was the only one he ever actually married. Lazenby later admitted that Rigg basically carried him through the performance, raising his acting game just by being in the frame.
Why the Terry O’Neill Portraits Feel So Different
Aside from movie stills, the most intimate photos of Diana Rigg were taken by legendary photographer Terry O’Neill. These aren't the high-gloss, airbrushed shots we see of modern stars. O’Neill had a way of catching her in between moments.
You've likely seen the one where she's sitting at the Mermaid Theatre in 1968. Or the 1970 shot where she's just tending to her garden in a simple sweater. These photos matter because they humanize a woman who was becoming a literal goddess in the eyes of the public.
She wasn't always "Emma Peel." In fact, Rigg sometimes found the obsession with that character a bit much. She was a classically trained Shakespearean actor. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. She played Cordelia in King Lear while touring Europe long before she ever touched a spy's gadget.
The Evolution: From Leather to Thorns
If you skip ahead forty years, the photos of Diana Rigg change entirely, yet the energy is the same. As Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, she traded leather for heavy silks and a wimple.
There is a fantastic shot of her sitting across from Cersei Lannister. She’s older, sure, but those eyes? Still sharp. Still dangerous. She didn't need the karate kicks anymore because her tongue was a better weapon. She earned four Emmy nominations for that role, proving that her presence was more about gravity than youth.
Capturing the Reality of the "Swinging Sixties"
A lot of people think the 60s were all peace and love, but Rigg’s images show the "London Cool" side of it. It was sharp-edged. It was intellectual.
"Mrs. Peel was the ideal broker of the UK into the swinging world of the 60s," said Toby Miller, a film professor.
She bridged the gap between the stuffy, post-war era and the wild, neon future. When you look at her photos today, you aren't just seeing a "retro" aesthetic. You're seeing the blueprint for every "strong female lead" that followed.
How to Appreciate Her Legacy Today
If you’re looking to really dive into the visual history of Diana Rigg, don’t just stick to the Pinterest highlights. There are a few things you should look for to get the full picture.
First, track down the "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese" pub photos from December 14, 1964. This was her first official photo shoot with Patrick Macnee. She looks young, slightly nervous, and incredibly elegant.
Second, find the photos of her and Oliver Reed at the Assassination Bureau press reception in 1967. They look like they’re having the time of their lives.
Finally, check out the late-career portraits from the 2019 Canneseries festival. Even at 80, her style was impeccable. She wore the years with a kind of defiant grace that most people only dream of.
Next Steps for Fans and Collectors
To truly understand why her visual legacy persists, you should look for high-resolution archives of the John Bates designs. Many of these original outfits are held in museum collections now, like the Fashion Museum in Bath. If you are a collector, vintage lobby cards from On Her Majesty's Secret Service remain the gold standard for physical memorabilia. For digital research, the Getty and Alamy archives contain the most comprehensive timeline of her transition from a Leeds schoolgirl to a Dame of the British Empire.