One of the most attractive celebrities and an unparalleled fashion icon of the world late Princess Diana Palmer’s violet velvet “Ball Dress” is to be auctioned by the international auctioneer Sotheby’s, New York. The going rate is estimated to be about over Rs. 98 lakhs in Indian rupees.
The dress is being put up from a private collection in New York.
The dress has been created by renowned designer Victor Edelstein.
The dress from Diana’s collection is a strapless, evening dress of deep aubergine with tulip shaped stiffened skirt with three paste buttons at the back.
The 52.5-inch long dress with a bust size of 38 inches and waist size of 39 inches, was auctioned by Christie’s New York in 1997 and bought by a private collector in New York whose descendants are now putting it again under the hammer.
Diana’s dress and hairstyle inspired and commanded the fashion conscious in many parts of the world. Her typical hairstyle came to be known as Diana style haircut.
According to Southby, “In the early 1980s, Anna Harvey, deputy editor of Vogue at the time, advised the Princess of Wales on her wardrobe and style. Harvey suggested working with Victor Edelstein, who at the time was producing high-end couture for private clients, after a few years at Christian Dior in London.”
“Harvey was drawn to Edelstein’s work: Victor’s collection was young, beautiful and much of it was perfect for the Princess, ” says Southby.
Edelstein designed dresses for Princess Diana for over a decade, from 1982 to 1993 as she grew into a young woman her dresses became sleeker and more sophisticated in the style of which the present ball dress is an example.
The “aubergine coloured velvet dress with tulip skirt,” was designed by Victor Edelstein as part of his collection of 1989 collection.
Diana wore this dress when she had her portrait painted and photographed as part of royal family in 1991 by Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. The image became extremely well known. In the same year, British portraitist Douglas Hardinge Anderson also depicted Princess Diana in the present dress.
Her picture with this dress also appeared in Vanity Fair magazine with her interview. The Franklin Mint produced collectibles including 16-inch fine porcelain Princess Diana dolls, featuring some of her most iconic dresses which included the press ball-dress which was issued in a limited edition of 1,000.
| Posted by Sameer Khan | 
