Princess Diana was known not only for her charitable spirit, but also for her fashion sense. From her revenge dress to her cowboy boots, the former wife of King Charles always knew how to stand out, and quickly became an influencer ahead of her time. While her wardrobe was already turning heads in the ’80s and ’90s, it is sure to inspire fans and collectors alike on June 26 when Julien’s Auctions presents Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection, which will feature over 200 pieces from the dressing rooms of the late princess and other members of the royal family — including Queen Elizabeth II — at the prestigious The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel.
According to Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions, only a handful of the 200 or so pieces offered for sale will be coats. “We learned through this how generous Diana was, always giving something away. And you never see one of Diana’s coats put up for auction, because she used to ask her butler, her staff or her friends to go round London, in January and February, in the freezing cold,” he explained to People, before adding: “She would find homeless people and give them coats. That’s how she was. Without artifice.”
To compensate for the absence of Diana’s trench coats, furs and aviator jackets, buyers will be able to acquire other iconic pieces. While some are being auctioned for the first time, others are once again available for sale, such as the Falcon evening gown by Catherine Walker, worn by Princess Diana in Pakistan in 1996. “When Diana held her own auction in 1997, just two months before her sudden death, this dress was among those she sold for charity. She sold over 70 dresses at the request of her son Prince William and to raise money for charity. She raised over $3 million (over 2.6 million euros), which was a lot of money at the time,” explained Nolan.
Princess Diana’s must-have accessory, the Lady Dior handbag, will also be on sale. When the British princess visited France in 1995, Bernadette Chirac, then First Lady, ordered the bag (originally called Chouchou) as a gift for the princess, and it was love at first sight. From that moment on, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry wore the bag to several events, including the Met Gala in 1996, where the lambskin bag accessorized a slip dress also by Dior. The Chouchou then became the Lady Dior in homage to the princess, and remains one of the French fashion house’s greatest successes to this day.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France
