Revenge dresses have always been hailed and applauded. Be it Ariana Madix’s red cut-out dress during the #Scandoval or Tina Turner’s Azzedine Alaïa cut-out gown when she stepped out of her marriage. However, all credit goes to the late Princess Diana, who birthed this trend.
Princess Diana was one of the most loved and influential royals of all time. She did not play by the Royal rules and broke out of the shackles one moment at a time. In one such act of rebellion, in 1994, she wore one of the most iconic dresses. Design and fabric-wise it was a normal Christina Stambolian dress, but it was the moment and the person that enhanced the value of the dress. Diana flouted the royal protocol and decided to show her skin when King Charles III confessed to infidelity. Pop culture gave birth to a permanent trend that has influenced three decades of women.
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The Story Of The Revenge Dress Worn By Princess Diana
The early 1990s was a difficult period for King Charles III and the late Princess Diana’s marriage. Infidelity was the main source of contention between the two. In 1992, Diana and Charles decided to separate, consequently divorcing in 1996. But, in 1994, King Charles III admitted his infidelity on national television. He admitted that he was unfaithful to Diana with his wife, Queen Camilla.
On June 29, 1994, the same day when Charles confessed to cheating on Princess Diana, she was scheduled to attend Vanity Fair’s gala at the Serpentine Gallery. Despite the confession of her husband, Diana decides to face the world-but in the sultriest couture! However, it was a Valentino dress that the princess was going to wear for the gala. Nevertheless, she chose the Stambolian couture dress for the fundraising event. She had the Christina Stambolian dress for three years in the wardrobe, and she thought that the night after her husband’s confession would be great to don it.
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For How Much Did The Revenge Dress Get Sold For?
The Christina Stambolian dress had a deep V-neckline with a sheer scarf around her waist like a train. It was a short and sultry chiffon dress. Princess Diana commissioned the dress in 1991 when she was at the boutique in Beauchamp Place. During her briefing, Diana said, “I want a special dress for a special occasion. It doesn’t matter if it is short or long. It has to be something special.”
Princess Diana paired the dress with a pearl necklace and a brooch as its centerpiece. Diana wore the brooch that the Queen mother gave her. It was a Sri Lankan sapphire-and-diamond brooch. It became a significant part of her life, even after the divorce from Charles. However, she decided to auction the dress along with 79 other cocktail and evening dresses at Christie’s in New York. The LGBTQIA+ icon decided to transfer the funds to the AIDS crisis trust along with the Royal Marsden Hospital. The famous dress fetched $65,000 during the auction.
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