The highly esteemed “revenge dress” worn by Princess Diana is set to be auctioned off for the first time in nearly three decades, with estimates suggesting it could fetch between £120,000 and £240,000. This iconic strapless black evening gown, created by the Greek designer Christina Stambolian, made headlines when Diana donned it at the Serpentine Gallery in London on June 29, 1994. Coincidentally, it was the same evening that King Charles publicly acknowledged his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla, during a televised interview.
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The auction is being organised by Sotheby’s, marking a significant moment as this will be the dress’s first venture onto the market since it was previously sold in 1997. At that time, Diana auctioned off 79 of her dresses to support cancer and AIDS charities shortly before her untimely demise at the age of 36. The outfit initially sold for £42,000.
The forthcoming auction is scheduled for December 9, allowing plenty of time for the dress to be showcased in a series of exhibitions around the globe. The public will first be able to view the gown at Sotheby’s London estate during London Fashion Week from September 18 to September 24. Following the London showing, the dress will travel to Hong Kong in October, Geneva in November, and finally, it will arrive in New York City for public display in early December, leading up to the auction.
On the night of its debut, Princess Diana was due to attend a gala hosted by Vanity Fair. Despite the storm of scandal surrounding her husband’s revelations just hours earlier, she appeared before the public in her striking black dress. Originally, Diana planned to wear an ensemble by Valentino, but upon learning that the outfit had been leaked to the media, she made a swift change. In that moment, she chose the bold black number from her wardrobe, turning the tables and ensuring she captured the headlines, rather than allowing her husband’s confession to dominate the news cycle.
This decision spoke volumes about Diana’s refusal to remain a passive participant in her own life narrative. Costume designer William Ivey Long, who worked on the Broadway musical “Diana,” articulated this sentiment, stating, “She decided that she would choose a dress that she had previously rejected as being a little too much,” symbolising her defiance and resilience.
The impact of the “revenge dress” has resonated through the years, featuring in exhibitions that celebrate Diana’s legacy. Most notably, it was showcased in 2017 at the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland during the exhibition “Diana: A Fashion Legacy,” commemorating the 20th anniversary of her passing.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, commented on the significance of the dress, describing fashion as an effective form of communication. She remarked, “Princess Diana understood that instinctively. The extraordinary element of this dress lies not only in its association with the princess but also in how it transformed the narrative surrounding her life at that moment.”
Halimi further expressed that this gown became a powerful statement during a tumultuous period, enabling Diana to reclaim her story amid the media scrutiny. “What has endured across the decades is not the scandal surrounding that evening, but Princess Diana’s show of confidence and self-possession,” she noted.
This moment, iconic enough to be recreated in the Netflix series “The Crown,” remains etched in the public memory as a foremost example of Diana’s remarkable ability to convey her defiance and strength without uttering a word. The auction is anticipated not only as an opportunity to acquire a piece of royal history but also as a reflection of Diana’s enduring impact on fashion and personal expression.
As interest builds ahead of the auction, it is evident that the “revenge dress” is more than just an exquisite piece of clothing; it embodies a pivotal moment in the life of Princess Diana and continues to inspire discussions about empowerment through fashion.