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Princess Diana’s Iconic ‘Revenge Dress’ Up for Auction

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Princess Diana’s iconic black “revenge dress” is going up for auction nearly three decades after it was last sold, bringing one of the most recognisable pieces from the late Princess of Wales’s wardrobe back into the spotlight.

The original Christina Stambolian dress will be offered during Sotheby’s Luxury Week auction in New York on December 9, 2026. It carries an estimated value of $150,000 to $300,000, and the sale will mark the first time the dress has been auctioned in 29 years.

Diana famously wore the dress on June 29, 1994, when she attended a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner for the Serpentine Gallery in London. That same evening, a television documentary featuring her then-husband, Prince Charles, aired in which he acknowledged that he had been unfaithful during their marriage. The couple had separated in 1992 but would not divorce until 1996.

Photo: Getty Images

For the occasion, Diana chose a short, fitted black silk dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline, horizontal ruching, an asymmetrical hem and a sash. She completed the look with black shoes and her distinctive pearl-and-sapphire choker. The striking silhouette marked a departure from the more conservative royal wardrobe with which she had become associated, and photographs of her arrival quickly became some of the most memorable images of her post-separation years.

The dress, however, was not a last-minute creation. Diana had commissioned Stambolian to design it in 1991, but initially considered the finished piece too daring. She had reportedly planned to wear a Valentino dress to the Serpentine event before changing her plans after Valentino prematurely announced her intended outfit to the press. Instead, she selected the Stambolian design that had already been sitting in her wardrobe.

The dress became known as the “Revenge Dress” in the aftermath of that appearance. Its association with Diana’s public response to a difficult chapter in her marriage helped cement its place in fashion history and contributed to the wider idea of “revenge dressing” using clothing as a deliberate expression of confidence after heartbreak or betrayal.

Its significance also reflects the evolution of Diana’s personal style. After years of dressing within the expectations surrounding her position in the royal family, she increasingly embraced more individual and sophisticated looks during the 1990s. The Stambolian dress captured that shift particularly well: it was glamorous and confident without relying on traditional royal codes.

Photo: Campbell Addy for Sotheby’s

Diana wore the dress publicly only once. In 1997, she included it among 79 dresses from her wardrobe that were sold at a charity auction in New York to raise money for cancer and AIDS-related causes. Scottish couple Briege and Grahame MacKenzie purchased the Stambolian dress for £39,098.

The couple were not prominent fashion collectors. They had mainly collected antiques and were admirers of Diana, but their purchase meant the dress remained privately held by the MacKenzie family for almost three decades.

Following Grahame MacKenzie’s death, Briege has now decided to consign the dress for auction once again. The upcoming sale will also include a rare original catalogue from Diana’s 1997 charity auction, numbered and signed by both Diana and Stambolian.

Before the New York auction, the dress will be displayed as part of an international exhibition tour beginning at Sotheby’s in London on September 18. It will subsequently travel before arriving in New York for the December sale.

Part of the proceeds will benefit NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, adding a charitable element to the dress’s return to the auction market.

Diana’s clothing has continued to command interest among collectors long after her death. In 2023, her famous black sheep jumper sold for $1.14 million, demonstrating the enduring market for pieces connected to her fashion legacy.

The Stambolian dress, however, carries a particular significance. It is tied to one of the most closely scrutinised evenings of Diana’s life, represents a decisive period in her evolution as a style figure and ultimately gave its name to a fashion phenomenon that remains familiar today.

Nearly 30 years after it was last sold, Diana’s “Revenge Dress” is once again heading to auction, where its next chapter will be determined by a new collector.

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Kylie Jenner Announces New Khy After Dark Collection

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Photo: Kylie Jenner/@ Instagram

Kylie Jenner is not taking a break from fashion anytime soon. After walking down the Victoria’s Secret runway in the brand’s $50 million Fantasy Bra last weekend, the beauty and fashion mogul is back to work on her clothing label, Khy. The brand has announced its latest winter collection, Khy After Dark, which is set to launch on October 27.

Khy After Dark features 16 pieces, including  oversized bomber jackets, sculpted coats, faux-fur details, knitwear and bold animal prints. The designs mix different textures and shapes, with some pieces featuring more than one material.

Photo: Khy

One of the looks combines a fur jacket with leather sections along the sleeves. The fur appears in separate bands, creating a layered design rather than the usual single, continuous finish. Another piece is a long leather coat with fur around the neckline, hem and cuffs.

Photo: Khy

Despite its name, Khy After Dark is not limited to evening outings. The campaign also features a hooded knit paired with relaxed jeans and a long-sleeved top styled with shorts. These looks bring a more casual side to the collection, showing how the designs can be worn beyond nights out.

Jenner also stars in the campaign for the new collection, photographed by Quentin de Briey in the hills of Los Angeles. In a press release, she described the woman she had in mind when creating the collection. “The collection is designed for a woman for whom getting dressed is an occasion in itself, and she is always the main character,” she said.

Photo: Khy

The collection’s outerwear can be incorporated into an everyday wardrobe. Pieces can be paired with denim, straight-leg trousers or skirts, depending on the look.

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Kylie Jenner Makes Victoria’s Secret Runway Debut in $50 Million Fantasy Bra

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Photo: Getty Images

Victoria’s Secret brought Kylie Jenner onto the runway at its October 18 fashion show. The reality star and beauty entrepreneur appeared in the brand’s most expensive Fantasy Bra yet, valued at $50 million.

Her appearance marked the return of the Fantasy Bra to the runway for the first time since 2018, when Elsa Hosk wore the $1 million version. Jenner paired the diamond-covered piece with a silver thong, a sheer white organza miniskirt, transparent heels and oversized white feathered angel wings.

Photo: Getty Images

The 2026 Fantasy Bra was created by Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co. in collaboration with Victoria’s Secret. It features 4,410 natural diamonds surrounding a 75.54-carat radiant-cut yellow diamond. Fifteen artisans spent more than 1,000 hours making the piece. According to Jacob & Co., the design was inspired by its Rare Touch Jewelry Collection, which explores how precious metals can move with the body like fabric. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “What began as a pencil sketch became a masterpiece of jewelry engineering. Crafted from 3,218 individually designed components, the creation moves with the body like lingerie, combining brilliance of high jewelry with fluidity of fashion.”

Speaking to Vogue, Victoria’s Secret chief creative officer Adam Selman explained why the brand chose Jenner to wear the Fantasy Bra. “Kylie really extends beyond fashion, beyond culture, beyond TV, beyond one singular thing,” he said. “The show is so big, it’s true entertainment, and I think she is a great catalyst for that.”

Photo: Getty Images

Jenner had appeared in fashion shows before her Victoria’s Secret appearance. She first walked the runway in 2011 for Abbey Dawn. In 2013, she appeared in designer Sherri Hill’s show and joined her sister Kendall Jenner for The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection. More recently, she closed Coperni’s Spring/Summer 2025 show at Disneyland Paris in October 2024.

Jenner joined a lineup of other returning Victoria’s Secret Angels including Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Barbara Palvin and Elsa Hosk. Bella Hadid opened the show, while Adriana Lima brought the runway presentation to a close.

Photo: Getty Images

Kylie’s boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, was also in attendance, cheering her on from the audience. He sat beside her mother, Kris Jenner, as she walked the show.

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Seán McGirr Departs Alexander McQueen

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Photo: Instagram/@Seán McGirr

Seán McGirr is leaving Alexander McQueen after three years as creative director, the fashion house announced on October 15. The Irish designer’s departure comes less than a month after he presented his Spring/Summer 2027 collection in London, marking the brand’s return to London Fashion Week after years of showing in Paris. Kering, the luxury group that owns the label, said it would announce new creative leadership soon.

Photo: Getty

McGirr joined Alexander McQueen in October 2023, succeeding Sarah Burton, who spent 26 years at the house, including 13 as creative director. Burton took over the role following the death of founder Lee Alexander McQueen in 2010. Her departure in 2023 opened the door for McGirr, whose appointment brought a new designer to a label closely associated with its founder’s unconventional runway shows and distinctive tailoring.

Before joining McQueen, McGirr served as head of ready-to-wear at JW Anderson. His previous experience also included positions at Dries Van Noten, Burberry and Uniqlo. A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, he entered the role with a background spanning established luxury houses and more accessible fashion retail.

Photo: Instagram/@McQueen

His first collection for Alexander McQueen, presented in Paris in 2024, received mixed reviews. The designs included exaggerated knitwear, shearling jackets and embellished trouser suits, signaling a different approach from Burton’s collections. Critics questioned whether his early work had established a clear direction for the house, whose identity remains closely linked to the late designer’s work.

McGirr continued to explore the brand’s established references while introducing his own ideas. His tenure included the return of recognizable McQueen motifs and an emphasis on unconventional styling. However, his collections continued to attract debate over how the house could evolve while retaining the identity that made it one of Britain’s best-known fashion labels.

Photo: Instagram/@McQueen

His final collection, for Spring/Summer 2027, was presented in London on September 20. The show took place at Lincoln’s Inn Chapel and included sculptural tailoring, leather harnesses, metallic details and gowns. It marked a major change in the house’s runway schedule, returning McQueen to London Fashion Week for the first time in more than two decades.

McGirr’s departure comes as parent company Kering reassesses Alexander McQueen’s business. The group has been working to address challenges across its luxury portfolio, while reporting on the fashion house has highlighted restructuring and efforts to refocus its operations. Kering has not publicly detailed a specific reason for McGirr’s exit, and no successor had been announced at the time of the departure statement.

Photo: Instagram/@Seán McGirr

In its announcement, Kering CEO Luca de Meo thanked McGirr for his contribution and said the group intended to establish a new direction for the house. Alexander McQueen CEO Gianfranco D’Attis also acknowledged the designer’s work and his role in reconnecting the brand with London and its creative community.

McGirr’s next move has not been announced. The fashion industry will now be watching for Kering’s choice of successor and the direction the next creative director takes at Alexander McQueen.

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