Gaby
This stunning strapless gown was created in the late 1980s by couturier Victor Edelstein. It is one of the iconic pieces in the wardrobe of the Princess of Wales, who was widely regarded as a style icon by her contemporaries.
The elegant gown, made from rich violet silk velvet, features a sculpted heart-shaped neckline and a tulip skirt. The back of the dress is adorned with three gold buttons set with pearls.
According to Sotheby’s, Edelstein designed custom outfits for Diana for over a decade. This gown was part of his 1989 autumn collection. In 1991, the princess posed in it for an official portrait by artist Douglas Hardinge Anderson. She also wore it during a photoshoot with Mario Testino for Vanity Fair in 1997, shortly before her death.
On January 27, the dress will be auctioned for the first time in more than 25 years, CNN reports. Auctioneers estimate the lot at $120,000. The seller’s identity remains secret.
Princess Diana’s velvet ball gown is up for sale for the first time in 25 years. Photo: Sotheby’s
The Princess’s Great Dress Sale Happened a Quarter Century Ago
This gown last sold in 1997 at a charity auction at Christie’s for $24,150. That sale included 79 dresses Diana had donated. One of them was the “revenge dress,” a black velvet number by Greek designer Christina Stambolian. Diana wore that bold dress in 1994, to a public event shortly after Prince Charles publicly acknowledged rekindling his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. The choice was read as a statement of strength and resilience; witnesses said she looked “a million dollars.”
When Diana decided to auction the dresses in 1997, it felt like a farewell to a sorrowful past. In a statement at the time, she said she was glad others could share the joy she felt wearing those outfits.
The sale raised $3.25 million, which was donated to charities including the AIDS Foundation and the Royal Marsden Cancer Center.
At Sotheby’s “The One” auction in New York on January 27, other rare fashion and entertainment items will also appear. One lot is a ticket to President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 birthday celebration — the event famous for Marilyn Monroe’s iconic performance.
