Princess Diana’s head-turning “revenge dress,” which broke royal protocol and created a sensational pop culture moment, is going on sale for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The showstopping evening gown by Greek designer Christina Stambolian will be exhibited in London this month, before heading to Hong Kong, Geneva, and finally New York, where it is expected to sell for up to $300,000 when it goes under the hammer on December 9.
The late Princess of Wales wore the black, figure-hugging dress on June 29, 1994 — the same day that her then-husband, now-King Charles III, admitted in an ITN documentary that he’d been unfaithful. The revelation had been leaked days prior by the British press and the documentary aired to 13 million viewers nationwide.
Yet Diana chose to arrive for a party at the Serpentine Gallery in London in a gown so captivating it received its own moniker, becoming known as “the revenge dress.”
Pairing the shoulder-baring silk design with black heels, a black clutch, bold red nails and a jeweled chocker – created from an antique diamond and sapphire brooch that Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, gifted her for her wedding, according to Sotheby’s – Diana reclaimed her image in the public’s imagination.
