The legendary black "revenge dress" worn by Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, is set for a new chapter in the public eye: the auction house Sotheby's has announced that the gown will be put up for sale. It was in this short black dress by Greek designer Christina Stamoulian that the Princess appeared in public on the very day the world learned of her husband, King Charles III's, infidelity. Over the coming months the gown will be displayed in Sotheby's galleries around the world, and the tour will culminate in an auction in New York.
The history of the legendary gown
Princess Diana wore the Christina Stamoulian dress on 29 July 1994 to a charity evening at the Serpentine Gallery in London. She paired the black silk off-the-shoulder gown with a train, black high heels, a clutch, red nail polish, and a bold pearl choker. Images of Diana in this look instantly went around the world and became part of the visual memory of the Princess.
Why it was called the "revenge dress"
The name was not given in vain: on that same day King Charles publicly admitted to his extramarital affair. The contrast between Diana's impeccable, confident image and the shocking news about her husband turned the Serpentine appearance into one of the most cited episodes in the history of the British royal family. The dress became a symbol of dignity and self-control in the midst of a personal crisis.
Details of the Sotheby's auction
The gown's first appearance in the new tour is scheduled for 18–24 September in London, during London Fashion Week. Sotheby's then plans exhibitions in Hong Kong and Geneva, with the route concluding in New York, where the auction will take place. The auction is set for 9 December, with the lot estimated at $150,000 to $300,000.
A charitable legacy
The dress was first sold at auction back in 1997 — as part of a catalogue of 79 of the Princess's gowns, when Diana was raising funds for charities fighting cancer and AIDS. Staying true to that legacy, Sotheby's will donate a portion of the sale proceeds to the NHS Lothian charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
A comment from the auction house
"What makes this dress extraordinary is not that a princess wore it, nor that its appearance at the Serpentine event made headlines around the world. It is what it stands for. On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful statements she ever made, during one of the most closely scrutinized and emotionally charged episodes of her life," said Morgan Halimi, Sotheby's global head of bags and fashion.
