Princess Diana has always been regarded as a “Fashion Icon” in the fashion industry. In addition to her elegant style, she constantly challenged tradition and showcased her bold fashion taste at certain moments. Many of her outfits and combinations during her lifetime have been continuously imitated and referenced by later generations, and many of the dresses she wore in the past have been sold at high prices. Recently, she once again set a new world auction record. A ballet-length evening gown she wore during her lifetime was successfully auctioned at Julien’s Auctions in the United States, selling for an astonishing $1.148 million, which is 11 times the pre-auction estimate of $100,000, once again demonstrating her fashion influence.
This ballet evening gown, designed by Moroccan-British fashion designer Jacques Azagury, was created for Princess Diana during her visit to Florence, Italy on April 23, 1985. It comes with a matching illustration. The evening dress features padded shoulder pads and a black velvet corset adorned with metallic thread embroidery of stars made from Jakob Schlaepher fabric. It is paired with a two-layered turquoise organza skirt, complete with a belt and bow. The ballet skirt showcases Diana’s passion for dance and serves as a perfect tribute to her role as a patron of the English National Ballet.
In addition to this dress, the most famous item worn by Princess Diana in her 1981 engagement portrait, a pink chiffon Emanuel blouse, was also sold for $381,000, nearly four times its estimated value of $80,000.
One of the most iconic photos ever taken, shortly after it was captured, Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their engagement and it was used as the official engagement photo, published in the February 1981 issue of Vogue magazine. Emanuel sold this shirt from her collection in 2010, previously exhibited at Kensington Palace in London as part of the “Diana: Her Fashion Story” exhibition from February 24, 2017 to February 17, 2019.
