More than 20 years on, the Lady Diana craze continues unabated
Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Rothesay, Lady Diana was one of, if not THE best-known member of the royal family. A tragic destiny and an unhappy life, this young princess left her mark too soon, not only for her rebellious side, but also for her inimitable style, which has endured through the ages and across generations. A true fashion icon, with a sense of style at the cutting edge of trends, she is today considered an icon.
Diana, Lady Di, Princess of Wales: so many names and nicknames that characterize the former wife of the current King of England. Who would have thought that today, in 2023, some would even call her a posthumous gen z influencer?
Lady Di, who died in 1997, left a lasting impression. Since her tragic death, numerous films, series and documentaries have paid tribute to her. Another amusing but also, and above all, rather intriguing fact is that she has a community on social networks through an instagram account christened Ladydirevengelooks, which now boasts over 116,000 subscribers.
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Oversized sweaters, bikers/sneakers, tomboy cuts, bombers, suits and evening gowns: the Princess of Wales was a true fashionista.
Now a world-famous star, her possessions sell for a fortune. Made up of valuable and not-so-valuable items, some of the sometimes unusual finds that once belonged to her have become almost objets d’art, snapped up by enthusiasts.
“Fashion goes out of fashion, style never does”.
Like many famous people who have passed on, many of Diana’s memorabilia are now being auctioned, and the sums reached are sometimes staggering. Starting with the thank-you letters the princess wrote when she received a gift. Close to her people and very humble, it is rumoured that she wrote thousands of thank-you letters after the birth of Prince William. Some of these letters, sold at auction, even exceeded $20,000. Things increase in value over time, and paper obviously does too!
The famous “black sheep” sweater worn by Lady Diana at a polo match in 1981 will soon be auctioned by Sotheby’s Fashion Icons in New York, starting on September 7. The sweater, which the Princess of Wales was particularly fond of, was given to her by the small British brand Warm and Wonderful. According to the auction house, it is expected to fetch between $50,000 and $80,000. Funnily enough, the label, which had stopped producing these red sheepskin sweaters in 1994, relaunched production in 2020.
Fans of Lady Di, original sweaters or simply sheep, if you’d like to get your hands on one, you don’t need to attend the auction, but you will still have to pay just over 200 euros for the chance to wear one.
The late princess’s fashion choices have always fascinated and captivated people, press and celebrities alike. So much so that they still have a cultural impact today.
Among the princess’s other possessions was a set of diamonds and pearls she wore on one of her last public outings. Now up for auction, it could fetch around a million euros.
Still in fashion, and in the prestigious world of auctions, one of Lady Diana’s emblematic dresses, designed by couturier Victor Edelstein, achieved a record sale price of $600,000. This exceeded the estimate of $120,000, even revised upwards to $400,000. Four wealthy investors fought over the plum-colored velvet garment for five long minutes, before it was sold for exactly $604,800. This fashion collector’s item became the most valuable and expensive dress of the late royals ever sold at auction.
Stars also want a bit of Diana
What Diana had, the world wants. In addition to wealthy investors, some stars are also playing the (expensive) auction game, like Kim Kardashian. The most famous of reality TV stars bought one of the sumptuous pieces of jewelry worn by the princess. This large cross-shaped amethyst and diamond pendant had not appeared in public since her death in 1997. Nicknamed the Attalah Cross, it was sold to Kim Kardashian for the modest sum of $197,453 at a Sotheby’s auction last January.
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According to a press release from the House, four bidders were interested, and in the end it was a representative of Kim Kardashian who won the lot at “more than double its estimate“. So it seems that the American star is also proving to be a royal fan.
More than 25 years after her death, Lady Di, nicknamed the “People’s Princess”, remains one of the most fashionable style icons of the 2020s.
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