A blouse and evening gown worn by the late Princess Diana are expected to fetch thousands at auction. Photo / Getty Images
A blouse and evening gown worn by the late Princess Diana are expected to fetch thousands at auction. Photo / Getty Images
A blouse and evening gown worn by the late Princess Diana are expected to fetch thousands at auction.
The pleated shirt with a ribbon around the collar was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel — the same designers behind Diana’s wedding dress when she married the then-Prince Charles.
It was worn in the official engagement photograph for the pair taken by Lord Snowdon in 1981.
It’s valued at between US$80,000 (NZ$130,328) to US$100,000 (NZ$162,911).
The Jacques Azagury dress, which Diana wore in Florence, Italy, in 1985, is expected to make between US$100,000 (NZ$162,911) and US$200,000 (NZ$325,821).
The items are being sold via Julien’s Auctions as part of the TCM Presents: Hollywood Legends sale, first in person in Beverly Hills and then online from December 14 to 17.
The sale to beat is Diana’s lost sweater, which sold for just shy of £1 million (NZ$2.05m).
The famous jumper went under the hammer at Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction. Photo / Getty Images
The famous “black sheep” jumper, which is made of red wool and emblazoned with white sheep and one black one, went under the hammer at Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction in New York and online, and fetched £885,000 (US$1.1 million, NZ$1.8).
It was 10 times more than its estimate of between £40,227 (NZ$65,534) to £64,363 (NZ$104,854).
What’s more, according to Sotheby’s, it was the most anyone has paid for a sweater.
Sotheby’s global head of fashion and accessories Cynthia Houlton said: “This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana’s grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion.”
The piece, which had gone missing for years, was first worn by Lady Diana Spencer at a polo match in 1981 when she was engaged to Charles.
It was made by the label Warm and Wonderful, and due to Diana’s fashion influence, the then-new brand was overwhelmed with demand after she was seen in the garment.
The company said: “Much to our amazement, the first we knew of Lady Diana Spencer wearing the sweater was when we saw her on the front page of one of the Sunday newspapers.”
“Her influence was impactful almost immediately thereafter, leading to a surge in sales and public awareness of our small label, for which we will be forever grateful.”
The jumper was sent back to the label for repairs upon the request of Buckingham Palace, and they sent a new one.
The original got lost and was found gathering dust in an attic.
The design was discontinued in 1994, but a new version was released in 2020 in collaboration with Rowing Blazer.
