The iconic "revenge dress," designed by Greek fashion house Christina Stambolian, is scheduled for auction on 9/12 in New York, US. Sotheby's will host the event, with the garment estimated to fetch up to 300,000 USD. A portion of the proceeds will benefit NHS Lothian Charity, which supports medical services. Prior to the auction, the dress was exhibited in London this month, followed by showings in Hong Kong and Geneva.

Princess Diana first wore the dress on 29/6/1994, attending a Vanity Fair charity fundraising event at the Serpentine Gallery in London. This appearance coincided with her then-husband, now King Charles III, publicly admitting his affair in an ITN documentary. The media, both British and international, swiftly dubbed the form-fitting black silk gown the "revenge dress."

Princess Diana wore Christina Stambolian's dress to a charity fundraising event in 1994. _Photo: Reuters_

Traditionally, black attire was reserved for royal mourning. Stambolian's design, however, offered a bold interpretation of the "little black dress," a classic silhouette introduced by Coco Chanel in 1926. Chanel's influence helped redefine black as a color of elegance.

The documentary _Princess Diana's Dresses: The Auction_ (2013) reveals the dress remained unworn in Diana's wardrobe for three years, deemed "too daring" by the princess. Its last sale occurred in 6/1997, when Diana auctioned 79 outfits to raise funds for breast cancer and AIDS organizations. Subsequently, the dress was exhibited at various charity events in Scotland.

CNN predicts the dress could surpass its initial estimate. Another of Diana's designs sold for 604,800 USD in 2023, significantly exceeding its original valuation. That same year, her iconic sheep sweater fetched a record-breaking 1.1 million USD.

Princess Diana and her husband had two sons: Prince William and Harry. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. The Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in 1997 at age 36.

Hoa Mi (according to CNN)