Princess Diana’s iconic ‘Revenge Dress’ to go under hammer in New York
Princess Diana’s iconic black silk “Revenge Dress” will be offered at auction in New York this December, with an estimate of $150,000-300,000, Sotheby’s announced on Thursday, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The figure-hugging, strapless black silk evening dress, designed by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, became one of the most enduring fashion statements of the 20th century after Diana wore it to a fundraising dinner hosted by Vanity Fair at Serpentine in London on June 29, 1994.
Diana made a last-minute wardrobe change for the event, choosing the daring black dress over a more traditional Valentino gown. She wore the dress on the same evening that Prince Charles was due to publicly admit his infidelity on national television. The media quickly dubbed the outfit the “Revenge Dress.”
The “Revenge Dress” featured an asymmetric hemline and a dramatic chiffon train and was paired with black heels, a clutch and a statement choker made from an antique diamond and sapphire brooch given to Diana as a wedding gift by the Queen Mother.
According to Sotheby’s, the dress has since come to symbolise confidence, self-possession and independence, with its influence extending well beyond the circumstances of its original appearance. The term “revenge dressing” subsequently entered the modern fashion lexicon as shorthand for confidence, transformation and independence.
The dress is being offered at auction for the first time since June 1997, when Diana sold 79 of her dresses to raise funds for cancer and AIDS charities. A rare copy of the original auction catalogue, numbered and signed by Diana and Stambolian and crediting Prince William with the idea for the sale, will be included.
Part of the proceeds from the upcoming sale will benefit NHS Lothian Charity in support of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Black, short, and off the shoulder, Princess Diana's eveningwear caused jaws to drop back in 1994 when she arrived at London’s Serpentine Gallery.
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 10, 2026
Register to bid >> https://t.co/xKBgLKMxHl
As she stepped out of her car and into a sea of camera flashes, the Princess of Wales… pic.twitter.com/uhBsDJW80G
The dress will make its first public appearance at Sotheby’s London from September 18-24, followed by exhibitions in Hong Kong from October 1-15 and Geneva from November 6-11. It will be displayed in New York from December 2-8 before the live auction on December 9.
The dress was last publicly displayed at Paisley Museum in Scotland before disappearing from public view for nearly three decades.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Christie’s offered selections from the Bill Blass archive and costumes from The Devil Wears Prada 2 in two online auctions in New York this September.
