Princess Diana’s Iconic “Revenge Dress” Goes to Auction
A black silk evening gown that Princess Diana wore to a charity gala at the Serpentine Gallery in London on 20 November 1994 is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s on 9 December. The dress was chosen by Diana after television audiences witnessed then‑Prince Charles publicly confess his infidelity, a moment that spurred a wave of criticism and speculation about the couple’s marriage.
Designer Christina Stambolian created the dress, which featured a strapless silhouette, a pivoting open-cut at the waist, and a dramatic evening sheen. Diana paired the gown with a black clutch, black heels and a carefully selected set of jewellery, a move that accorded her with an empowering, covert protest against her public humiliation.
Sotheby’s estimates a price of up to $300,000 (£220,000) for the garment, the first auction since 1997 when the princess sold 79 pieces of her wardrobe to support charity. The auction kicks off with the seasonality of an entire timeline of the Princess’s life, reminding observers of the continuing legacy of her sartorial choices.
“On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinised and emotionally charged episodes of her life,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion.
She walked into a moment in which so much of her story was being told for her and, through what she chose to wear, reclaimed the narrative for herself.”
The auction represents a new chapter in how the legacy of the Princess of Wales continues to garner admiration, especially as her wedding coat, aforementioned “revenge dress,” and other iconic garments from her career continue to command record prices. When sold, the dress will join her black‑sheep‑printed sweater, which fetched £920,000 in a 2023 auction in New York.
