A black silk evening dress worn by Princess Diana to a London party shortly after a television documentary aired in which the then-Prince Charles acknowledged infidelity during their marriage is set to be auctioned.
Diana made a striking appearance at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 wearing the custom Christina Stambolian gown, a look that quickly became one of the most memorable fashion moments of her public life.
The outfit was later dubbed the “revenge dress” by the media.
Sotheby’s estimates the dress could sell for as much as $300,000 (£220,000) when it is offered on 9 December.
According to the auction house, this will be the first time the dress has appeared at auction since 1997, when Diana sold 79 of her gowns to raise funds for charity.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said Diana had an instinctive understanding of fashion as a form of communication.
Halimi said Diana used the dress to take control of her public image during a highly scrutinized and emotionally intense period, turning what she wore into one of her most powerful personal statements.
