The cocktail dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, that became known as “the revenge dress” will go up for auction in December at Sotheby’s in New York, where it is estimated to sell for up to US$300,000 (approximately RM1.2mil).
The little black dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, was worn by Princess Diana to a party at the Serpentine Gallery in London on June 29, 1994 – the same day that her then-husband, Prince Charles, now King Charles III, obliquely admitted to having an affair during an interview broadcast on national television.
Many observers interpreted Diana’s choice of the silk frock – with its off-the-shoulder bodice, asymmetrical hemline and figure-hugging fit – as a power move during a moment of intense public scrutiny.
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For the princess, who used clothes as a form of communication, “the revenge dress” would become one of her most enduring fashion statements.
The dress will be auctioned during Sotheby’s Luxury Week.
While the auction house said it expects the dress to sell for around US$150,000 to US$300,000 (RM610,000 to RM1.2mil), Diana’s continuing allure, nearly 30 years after her death, may drive the price even higher.
In 2023, a ballerina-length evening dress that she wore to a dinner in 1985 was sold for US$1.15mil (RM4.68mil), 11 times more than expected and a record for one of her dresses.
“The revenge dress” was designed for Diana by Stambolian, a Greek fashion designer, in 1991, but it was unworn for three years, according to Sotheby’s.
Diana had reportedly been slated to wear a different gown for the event at the Serpentine Gallery, but she changed her mind, instead opting for the black cocktail dress, which she paired with a favourite pearl and sapphire choker, a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch bag and Manolo Blahnik heels.
The look was a departure from royal protocol, as members of the royal family are reportedly encouraged not to wear all-black outfits unless they are in mourning, according to Vogue.
Georgina Howell, in her 1998 book Diana, Her Life In Fashion, wrote that Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, helped her select “the revenge dress”, arguing that the princess needed to wear a black dress for the occasion – one that would command a lot of attention and send a strong message.
He reminded Diana to walk confidently and keep her head up at the event.
“The performance worked brilliantly,” Howell wrote. “The public adored it: Diana was back.”
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Aside from her wedding gown, the Stambolian dress was Diana’s most famous, according to Howell.
Months before she died in 1997, Diana auctioned off 79 of her dresses in New York, and donated US$3.25mil (RM13.23mil) to cancer and Aids charities.
The auction included the Stambolian dress, which was purchased by a couple from Scotland, Briege and Graeme Mackenzie, for around US$64,000 (RM260,000).
It has remained in their collection until this sale, according to Sotheby’s. – ©2026 The New York Times Company
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
