Princess Diana’s famous ‘revenge dress’ to be auctioned in December
Princess Diana’s popular ‘revenge dress’ will reportedly go on auction in December, with some of the proceeds going towards charity.
The world would remember the day Princess Diana appeared in her famous black dress on the same day that then-Prince Charles publicly admitted to being unfaithful.
The dress has since become one of the most iconic pieces associated with the late Princess of Wales and continues to make a statement decades later.
The off-the-shoulder black dress was designed by Christina Stambolian and was worn by Diana the evening Prince Charles admitted on television that he had been unfaithful during their marriage.
Morgan Halimi, the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Handbags and Fashion at Sotheby's, said the dress was not just a dress, but carried a powerful message.
“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.
He added that Diana gave women the licence to use fashion beyond simply looking good.
“It gave licence to anyone, but especially women, to use fashion beyond adornment and much more intentionally and meaningfully, as a shield, a weapon, or both,” he said.
According to the BBC, the dress is expected to fetch up to $300,000 (approximately R4,8million) when it goes under the hammer.
The dress will be auctioned on 9 December, marking the first time it has been offered for sale since 1997.
According to Sotheby’s, Diana previously auctioned 79 of her dresses in 1997 to raise money for charity. The ‘revenge dress’ was among the pieces sold, with proceeds going towards cancer and AIDS charities.
Diana wanted to ‘look a million dollars’
According to Sotheby’s, Anna Harvey, who was Diana’s stylist at the time, recalled that the late royal had said she wanted to “look a million dollars” for the evening.
Diana reportedly made last-minute changes to her wardrobe before stepping out in the now-famous dress.
At the time, the media quickly dubbed it the ‘revenge dress’.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your OpenView decoder and browse to channel 606.
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa
Follow us on social media:
· TikTok