Royal fashion received the highest bids at Julien’s “Unstoppable: Signature Styles of Iconic Women in Fashion” auction on Thursday in Los Angeles.
A black velvet cocktail dress designed by Catherine Walker for Princess Diana, who wore the piece to a private event, sold for $325,000, more than three times its original estimate of $100,000. And a couture Hubert de Givenchy green wool suit worn by Princess Grace Kelly was sold for the same amount, totaling $650,000.
Diana’s dress features a nautical-inspired accent with ivory satin trim and an off-the-shoulder neckline. Walker reportedly created around 1,000 dresses for Diana in the ’90s. The royal, who died in a car accident in 1997, was buried in a black dress she purchased from the designer.
Princess Grace was seen wearing the green Givenchy suit twice. The first appearance was in Washington, D.C., while visiting Jackie Kennedy at the White House on May 24, 1961. The second was in Dublin, on June 13 of the same year. The suit, which included a sleeveless dress and a cropped bolero jacket, was designed by Hubert de Givenchy for his spring 1961 collection.
The “Unstoppable” auction featured pieces from many fashion icons of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Audrey Hepburn’s 1970 Yves Saint Laurent dress, which sold for $13,000, and Whitney Houston’s 2008 Burberry London cotton trench coat, which sold for $4,550.
Another highlight of the auction was the tutu worn by Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw during the opening credits of “Sex and the City” which was sold for $52,000, six times its original estimate of $8,000. The tutu was originally bought for $5 by costume designer Patricia Field.
Julien’s is the record holder for the most expensive dress worn by Princess Diana sold at auction thanks to their sale of her Jacques Azagury celestial dress, which was sold in 2023 for $1.1 million.
