Princess Diana left her mark for many reasons. Her tragic death, the love triangle she formed with what is today King Charles III and his wife Camilla, her philanthropy, but also her keen sense of fashion. Several of her outfits still remain iconic today. Since Thursday April 18 and for 12 days, six of them are on display in Hong Kong. The pieces will then be exhibited in Ireland before being auctioned on June 27. The Princess of Wales dictated fashion "every time she dressed up and went out," Martin Nolan, director of the California-based auction house Julien's Auctions, told AFP.
Iconic pieces
Among the outfits on display and then potentially sold is the daffodil yellow jacket, fitted and shouldered, decorated with gold buttons, that Princess Diana wore during a trip to Hong Kong in 1989. Created by Catherine Walker, its price could reach $50,000 in the auction, according to AFP. As for the dazzling midnight blue tulle evening dress, strewn with stars, designed by Murray Arbeid, that Lady Di wore to the premiere of The
Phantom of the Opera
in 1986, at the West End in London, its price could be soar to 400,000 dollars. A piece that features alongside other stunning dresses, such as Victor Edelstein's silk and lace creation and Catherine Walker's pink floral dress, which Diana wore in 1991. The outfits are both "tangible items and topics of conversation” which still fascinate the princess’s admirers, underlined Mr. Nolan. “People are still in love with Diana as if she were with us today, and that’s what’s incredible,” he added.
Lady Diana at the Cannes Film Festival
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow09 photos
See the slideshow09 photos
“His style could come back into fashion”
And for good reason, as soon as it opened, visitors crowded into the small exhibition space, stopping to read the story of each outfit. A 65-year-old shopkeeper, who gives his name as Fung, remembers the crowds that filled the streets of Hong Kong during Princess Diana's visit in 1989. “Diana was charismatic, caring and charitable. This is why many Hong Kongers respected her,” he told AFP. “Even for the younger generation, Diana occupies a notable place in pop culture,” notes Kathleen, a young woman specializing in digital marketing, who does not give her name. According to her, this craze could be partly due to the success of the series
The Crown
, broadcast on Netflix, which traces the reign of Elizabeth II. “Her style could come back into fashion,” the young woman told AFP, believing that the exhibition linked “fashion and history”. “It’s not the same as just seeing photos.”
In 2023, Julien's Auctions sold a Diana evening dress for the record sum of $1.14 million. Who knows how far the bidding wars will go this time.