Princess Diana's Dress Sets New Auction Record, Selling for £900,000

An auction held at Julien's Auctions in Hollywood saw a dress worn by Princess Diana in 1985 sell for 11 times its estimated price. The black, ballerina-length velvet evening gown fetched a total of $1,148,080, breaking the record for the most expensive dress worn by Diana sold at auction. The gown, which came with a matching illustration, was originally estimated to sell for $100,000. It features shoulder pads, a blue organza skirt, a large bow, and a sash. Diana wore the dress during a royal tour with Prince Charles in Florence and later to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. This collector's item was made with fabric chosen by Jakob Schlaepher and included metallic embroidered stars by the design team at Jacques Azagury. The previous record was held by a 1991 velvet gown worn by Diana, which sold for $604,800. Azagury also designed Diana's wedding dress in 1981. Another item sold at the auction was a pink crepe blouse worn by Diana for her engagement portrait, which sold for $381,000. Other items up for auction included dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Swanson, and Barbra Streisand.