How A Princess Diana Dress Set New Record For Fashion This Week

A flamboyant dress worn by Princess Diana to a dinner party in 1985 has broken fashion records this week, being sold at eleven times its estimated price. The sparkly dress was sold at Julien's Auctions in Hollywood for a total of £904,262 (about Rs 9.6 crore), becoming her most expensive dress to be sold at an auction. It was estimated to be sold at £78,776 (about Rs 83.5 lakh). The dress designed by Jacques Azagury was made of black velvet, embellished with blue stars, complete with a blue shin-length organza skirt. 

The record for the most expensive Diana dress was previously held by a 1991 velvet ball gown which fetched £476,437 in January. Princess Diana wore the Azagury dress for the first time at a dinner with the Mayor of Florence in Italy in 1985. The dress possesses features zeitgeist to the 80s-- shoulder pads, and a drop waist design. It sold along with a matching illustration.

Princess Diana, A Fashion Icon

Princess Diana trusted Azagury with a lot of her iconic fashion statements, especially in her final two years. The Moroccan designer has replicated some of the looks he created for her.  Azagury told The Times, "Each dress that I made for Diana was special for me and I have had great joy from these dresses for over 20 years, but now I would like that joy to pass to someone else and it can continue to be shared."

The faithful relationship between Diana and Azagury was displayed at the auction with several other memorable clothes of hers made by him including the blouse worn by Diana for her engagement portrait in 1981. Other celebrities' clothes were also up for bid, including the Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Charade, a sleeveless gown worn by Gloria Swanson in the 1950 noir film Sunset Boulevard and Barbra Streisand's sailor dress from a 1960s special called My Name Is Barbra.

Princess Diana's dress which sold at over £900 thousand is two times more expensive than her last most expensive dress. This shows the legacy that Diana continues to hold to this day, especially as a fashion icon. She is credited for setting trends like her haircut, cycling shorts, sports jackets, and the most memorable one-- her revenge dress, a little black dress that she wore post her nasty divorce from King (then Prince) Charles. Moreover, people remember her for her charming personality which shone through her altruistic endeavours and media presence.