Nearly three decades after Princess Diana made fashion history in one of her most memorable public appearances, the black dress she wore that night is once again attracting attention as it heads towards a major auction.
The figure-hugging silk dress, designed by Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian, is currently being exhibited at Sotheby’s in London ahead of its planned sale in New York on December 9, 2026.
Diana wore the dress on June 29, 1994, when she attended a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in London. On the same evening, her estranged husband, then-Prince Charles, publicly acknowledged his infidelity during a televised interview.
Diana had been aware that the interview was coming and initially faced intense media speculation about how she would respond. Rather than staying away from the public event, she appeared at the gallery in a dramatic black silk creation with an off-the-shoulder neckline, a fitted silhouette, an asymmetrical hem, and a chiffon train.
She had reportedly considered wearing a Valentino outfit but ultimately chose the Stambolian dress, which she had purchased several years earlier but had deemed too daring to wear in public at the time.
Her appearance immediately became one of the most photographed moments of her life. The dress was subsequently labelled the “revenge dress” by the media, and the phrase became associated with the idea of using fashion to project confidence during a highly publicised personal crisis.
Diana paired the dress with a pearl-and-sapphire choker, black accessories, and striking red nail polish. The look marked a departure from the more conservative image audiences had become accustomed to seeing from her during her years as a senior member of the Royal Family.
The dress was never worn in public by Diana again. In 1997, shortly before her death, she included it among 79 outfits she put up for a charity auction. The sale raised money for cancer and AIDS-related causes, and the Stambolian dress was purchased for £39,098.
It has remained in private hands since then and is now returning to the auction market for the first time since that 1997 sale.
Sotheby’s has estimated the dress at between $150,000 and $300,000. Before reaching New York, it is being displayed internationally, with stops including London, Hong Kong and Geneva.
Part of the proceeds from the forthcoming sale is also expected to benefit NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Hospital of Edinburgh.
More than 30 years after Diana stepped out in the dress, its significance extends beyond fashion. The garment has become closely associated with one of the defining moments of her public life and with the transformation of her style following her separation from Charles.
Today, the original Christina Stambolian creation remains one of the most recognisable pieces from Diana’s wardrobe, a dress that turned a single evening into an enduring moment in fashion and popular culture.
