Sotheby’s has announced that the black silk evening gown famously worn by Princess Diana in 1994, widely known as the "revenge dress," will be sold at auction on December 9. The garment is expected to reach a price of up to £220,000 ($300,000).
The dress gained its moniker after the Princess of Wales wore the off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian design to a Serpentine Gallery event on the same evening that a television documentary aired featuring Prince Charles’s admission of adultery. According to her former stylist, Anna Harvey, the Princess "wanted to look a million dollars" and made a last-minute decision to wear the gown instead of a previously selected Valentino piece.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, noted that the Princess "reclaimed the narrative for herself" through her choice of attire during a period of intense public scrutiny. The dress was previously sold by the Princess herself in 1997 as part of a charity auction, where it was purchased by Briege and Graeme Mackenzie for £39,098. Following the death of her husband, Briege Mackenzie has decided to part with the item, noting that the couple recognized the dress as "something special" from the moment they acquired it.
Before the final sale in New York, the dress will be exhibited in London, Hong Kong, and Geneva. The auction lot will also include a 1997 auction catalogue signed by both the Princess and the designer. A portion of the proceeds from the upcoming sale is designated for the NHS Lothian Charity to benefit the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Source: BBC News
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