Princess Diana’s famous black silk dress, widely known as the revenge dress, is heading to auction at Sotheby’s in New York on December 9. Expected to fetch up to $300,000, the Christina Stambolian creation returns to the public market for the first time in nearly three decades.
The 1994 Serpentine Gallery Appearance That Defined an Era
The garment first entered public consciousness when Princess Diana arrived at a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in London. Her dramatic arrival in a custom-made black silk evening dress by designer Christina Stambolian became an iconic pop-culture moment. The appearance occurred hours after a documentary was televised in which the then-Prince Charles admitted to committing adultery during their marriage. The media dubbed her outfit the “revenge dress.”
The form-fitting, short-hemmed black silk gown by Greek designer Christina Stambolian turned heads as it broke traditional expectations of royal dress with its colour, its plunging neckline, and its above-the-knee hemline. Diana hit the headlines when she was photographed wearing the black silk gown in 1994, on the same night her then-husband the Prince of Wales publicly admitted his infidelity on national television.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said in a statement that 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 scrutinised and emotionally charged episodes of her life, Halimi said
She walked into a moment in which so much of her story was being told for her and, through what she chose to wear, reclaimed the narrative for herself.
The black silk evening dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian is estimated to fetch as much as £220,000 ($298,110) when it goes on sale Dec. 9 during Sotheby’s Luxury Week in New York, the auction house said Thursday. Sotheby’s expects the dress to sell for up to $300,000 (£220,000) when it goes under the hammer on 9 December.
Global Exhibition Tour Ahead of the December 9 Sale
Before the sale, it will also be on display in London in October ahead of the sale. The dress will be up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York in December as part of its luxury week and is estimated to sell for between $US150,000 and $US300,000.
Part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, which is dedicated to funding extra care, equipment, and projects. It will also be sold alongside a copy of the original catalogue, numbered and signed by Diana and Greek designer Stambolian, crediting the Prince of Wales with the idea of the charity fundraiser.
Previous Sales of Royal Wardrobe Memorabilia
A press release from Sotheby’s said it is the first time the dress has been offered at auction since 1997, when the late princess sold 79 of her dresses to raise money for charities. It marks its first sale since June 1997 when Diana sold 79 of her dresses to raise funds to benefit cancer and Aids charities.
Christie’s Auction house took bids on an evening gown from Princess Diana—a form-fitting, short-hemmed, black silk crepe by Christina Stambolian, which sold for $65,000 Wednesday, June 25, 1997, in New York.