The striking velvet evening gown, a big-shouldered style typical of the 1980s and worn only twice by Princess Diana, sold at Julien’s Auctions in Hollywood for $1,148,080, eclipsing its presale estimate of $100,000.
It has set a record as the most expensive dress ever worn by Diana. The record was previously held by a 1991 gown by Victor Edelstein, which sold in January for $604,800.
The dress, reminiscent of the night sky, features metallic star embroidery by the designer Jacques Azagury. Diana wore several pieces by the Moroccan-British fashion designer during her time with the royal family. The collector’s item also features a two-tier royal blue organza skirt tied with a large sash and bow, thought to be a nod to her love of ballet, particularly the English National Ballet.
Princess Diana In Vancouver, Canada, in an evening dress designed by Jacques Azagury arriving at the Orpheum Theatre for a performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Princess Diana first wore the drop-waisted ballerina-style dress in 1985 in Florence, Italy, at a dinner while on a royal tour with Prince Charles and again to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1986.
Earlier this year, a quirky wool sweater decorated with white sheep and a single black sheep set a record both for the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction and the highest price paid for a non-dress garment worn by Diana, fetching $1.14 million at Sotheby’s New York. Another Diana-adorned item in the sale, a chiffon blouse she wore for her engagement portrait in 1981, went for $381,000, more than four times its estimate of $80,000. The pale pink blouse features a ruffled collar and pleats.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997) wearing ‘Black sheep’ wool jumper by Warm and Wonderful (Muir & Osborne) to Windsor Polo, June 1981. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Other celebrity items in the Julien’s sale, which ended Sunday, included a sleeveless gown worn by Gloria Swanson in the 1950 classic Sunset Boulevard, a Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1963 comedy Charade, and Barbra Streisand’s sailor dress from a 1960s TV special called My Name Is Barbra.