The black-and-blue Jacques Azagury dress worn by the tragic Princess of Wales in the 1980s has gone under the hammer at a recent auction for over $1 million.
- Dec 20, 2023
AceShowbiz - A dress worn by the late Princess Diana has fetched more than £900,000. The record-breaking sale by Julien's Auctions saw the starry black and blue Jacques Azagury gown with a ballerina-style skirt fetch the most an item worn by the late royal as ever sold with a final bid of $1,148,080 (£904,262).
The gown, which was only expected to sold for around $100,000, was worn by Diana on her and the then-Prince Charles' 1985 royal tour and to a concert by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1986.
The sale also included a blouse that was valued at $80,000 to $100,000 go for $300,000. The pleated shirt with a ribbon around the collar was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel - the same designers behind Diana's wedding dress when she married the now-King. It was worn in the official engagement photograph for the pair taken by Lord Snowdon in 1981.
Recently, Diana's lost sweater sold for just shy of £1 million. The famous "black sheep" jumper, which is made of red wool jumper and emblazoned with white sheep and one black one, went under the hammer at Sotheby's Fashion Icons auction and fetched £885,000 ($1.1 million).
It was 10 times more than its estimate of between £40,227 to £64,363. What's more, according to Sotheby's, it was the most anyone has paid for a sweater.
Sotheby's global head of fashion and accessories Cynthia Houlton said, "This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana's grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion."
The piece, which had gone missing for years, was first worn by Lady Diana Spencer at a polo match in 1981 when she was engaged to Charles, who is now King Charles. It was made by the label Warm and Wonderful, and due to Diana's fashion influence, the then-new brand was overwhelmed with demand after she was seen in the garment.
The company said, "Much to our amazement, the first we knew of Lady Diana Spencer wearing the sweater was when we saw her on the front page of one of the Sunday newspapers. Her influence was impactful almost immediately thereafter, leading to a surge in sales and public awareness of our small label, for which we will be forever grateful."
The jumper was sent back to the label for repairs upon the request of Buckingham Palace and they sent a new one. The original got lost and was found gathering dust in an attic. The design was discontinued in 1994, but a new version was released in 2020 in collaboration with Rowing Blazer.
Emma Corrin, who played Diana in "The Crown" in Season Four, wore a replica.
