Princess Dianna’s ‘Revenge Dress’ Goes Up for Auction
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Princess Diana’s ‘Revenge Dress’ Goes Up for Auction
Image source:
Martin Keene/PA Wire
By Brandon Livesay
Published 48 minutes ago
A dress worn by Princess Diana to a party in London hours after a documentary aired in which Prince Charles admitted to adultery during their marriage is going up for auction.
Her dramatic arrival at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 in a custom-made black silk evening dress by designer Christina Stambolian became an iconic pop-culture moment. The media dubbed it the "revenge dress".
Auction house Sotheby’s expects the dress to sell for up to $300,000 (£220,000) when it goes under the hammer on 9 December.
A press release from Sotheby’s states this is the first time the dress has been offered at auction since 1997, when the late princess sold 79 of her dresses to raise funds for charities.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, commented:
"Princess Diana understood instinctively that fashion can be a language in its own right. On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinized and emotionally charged episodes of her life."
According to Sotheby’s, Anna Harvey, Diana’s stylist at the time, revealed that Diana "wanted to look a million dollars." The princess made a last-minute wardrobe change for a fundraising dinner, opting for the strapless evening dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, which she accessorized with a royal jewel, a black clutch, and black pumps.
The vintage Jaguar XJ40 car Diana arrived in at the event was sold at auction earlier this year for £66,250.
If the revenge dress sells for a high price, it won’t be the first time an item from the princess’s wardrobe has achieved a significant sum. In 2023, her sweater featuring a black sheep among rows of white ones sold for £920,000 at an auction by Sotheby’s in New York.
Related topics:
- Princess Diana, Princess of Wales
- Fashion
