Lady Diana’s “revenge dress” returns to auction

Lady Diana’s famous “revenge dress” is going up for auction again after almost 30 years.

The iconic black dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, which left the princess’s shoulders bare, is about to embark on an international tour before being offered at a live auction by Sotheby’s in New York on December 9.

The first stop will be London, from September 18 to 24, during London Fashion Week. The dress will then be displayed in Hong Kong and Geneva before returning to the Breuer Building, Sotheby’s headquarters on Madison Avenue, CE Report quotes ANSA.

Lady Diana caused a sensation when, on a warm evening in late June 1994, she arrived at London’s Serpentine Gallery for a charity dinner organized by Vanity Fair.

The images made headlines around the world because that same evening, her husband Charles was on television admitting that he had been unfaithful to her. Charles and Diana had been living separately for two years, and details of the interview had leaked several days earlier. Diana knew that whatever she chose to do, while millions of people were watching the program, would inevitably be interpreted as a response.

The princess had always considered the dress, which had remained in her wardrobe for three years, too daring to wear in public. Diana could have canceled the Serpentine dinner. Instead, she attended. At the last moment, she changed outfits, setting aside a more traditional Valentino dress.

According to stylist Anna Harvey, who helped her get ready that evening, Diana “wanted to look like a million dollars.”

Sotheby’s, which has estimated the dress at between $150,000 and $300,000, is now expecting fireworks, just as happened with another piece of Diana’s clothing—a “black sheep” sweater—which sold for more than $1 million three years ago.

That sweater, worn by the princess at a polo match shortly before her wedding, and the “revenge dress” from the Serpentine are iconic in their own way: bookmarks of her troubled marriage to Charles.

This is the first time the cocktail dress has returned to auction since June 1997, when the princess herself put 79 of her dresses up for sale to raise funds for organizations involved in the fight against cancer and AIDS.

The dress will be accompanied by a rare copy of the original auction catalog, numbered and signed by both the princess and the designer. The catalog credits Prince William with the idea for the sale.

Photo: Chat GPT