Princess Diana's famous black revenge dress will be sold at auction by Sotheby's in New York on December 9.
The black gown, created by designer Christina Stambolian, is estimated to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000, or roughly €129,000 to €259,000, Sotheby's announced in a statement on Thursday. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, an institution specializing in mental health treatment.
Sotheby's is a multinational auction house headquartered in New York City that handles premier artwork, jewelry, and historical fashion. The Royal Edinburgh Hospital, located in Edinburgh, is a major psychiatric care center providing specialist mental health services.
Global exhibition tour ahead of December sale
Before the item goes under the hammer in New York, the dress will be displayed to the public during an international tour across four cities.
The exhibition opens in London from September 18 to September 24, before travelling to Hong Kong from October 1 to October 15. It will then be shown in Geneva from November 6 to November 11, ending with a final display in New York starting on December 2.
Auction houses routinely organize traveling exhibitions to allow collectors, historians, and members of the public in major international art hubs to view rare artifacts before bidding begins.
Origins of the iconic revenge dress
Princess Diana wore the black dress to a charity gala in June 1994, breaking with British royal protocol. Her appearance in the outfit coincided with a television broadcast in which her estranged husband, Prince Charles, publicly admitted to an extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
At the time of the gala, Diana and Charles were living apart. Prince Charles later married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
Diana, Princess of Wales, married Charles, then Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, in 1981. British royal fashion guidelines generally favor conservative attire, making Diana's bold choice of dress a notable moment in royal style history.
The famous ensemble also featured when Princess Diana made her entrance at the Musée Grévin in Paris on November 20 last year.
The Musée Grévin is a landmark wax museum on the Boulevard Montmartre in Paris, famous for displaying wax figures of historical personalities, royal figures, and global celebrities.
Fashion as a powerful statement
Morgane Halimi, global head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby's, observed that Princess Diana transformed the garment into one of the most powerful messages she ever delivered.
Halimi said what became a global viral moment gave everyone, especially women, permission to use fashion beyond simple adornment. She noted that clothes could be used far more intentionally as a shield, a weapon, or both.
The dress was previously auctioned in June 1997 to raise money for charities supporting cancer and AIDS patients.
That initial charity sale took place shortly before Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36.
Throughout her public life, Princess Diana was renowned for supporting charitable organizations worldwide, focusing on humanitarian causes including cancer treatment research and AIDS awareness.
