A custom-made black silk evening dress worn by Princess Diana in 1994, a moment that became known as the "revenge dress," is heading to auction at Sotheby's. The dress is expected to sell for up to $300,000 (£220,000) on December 9.
Princess Diana wore the Christina Stambolian design to a Vanity Fair party at the Serpentine Gallery in London on June 29, 1994. This appearance occurred on the same evening a television documentary aired in which then-Prince Charles admitted to his adultery during his marriage to Diana.
The striking black gown immediately captured public attention, earning it the media moniker "revenge dress." It has since become an iconic pop-culture moment, symbolizing a reclaiming of narrative during a highly scrutinized period of Diana's life.
Sotheby's notes that this marks the first time the dress has been available at auction since 1997. In that year, Princess Diana sold 79 of her dresses to raise funds for various charities.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, stated that Princess Diana possessed an innate understanding of fashion as a form of communication. "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," Halimi said. "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."