Fashion lovers can look forward to two big auctions in the next few weeks. First, late Princess Diana’s clothes, hats, handbags and shoes will go under the hammer on June 26. Second, Jane Birkin’s original Hermès Birkin bag, named after the English-French actress and singer, will hit the auction block in Paris on July 10.
A collection titled Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection with over 100 items will go under the hammer by Julien’s Auctions, a privately held auction house based in Beverly Hills, California. The late Princess reshaped the image of the British monarchy through clothing, using style as powerful communication.
“This is the largest Princess Diana auction because we have over 100 items from her amazing life and career. We sold over 70 of her dresses back in 1997 to raise money for her charity,” Martin Nolan, executive director and co-founder of Julien’s Auctions, told Reuters.
The lot includes a 1988 silk floral dress by Bellville Sassoon, dubbed the ‘caring dress’ because Diana wore it several times on hospital visits, with a price estimate of $200,000-$300,000. A cream silk embroidered evening gown Catherine Walker designed for Diana’s 1986 Gulf tour has a similar price tag, while a Bruce Oldfield two-piece yellow floral ensemble she wore for Royal Ascot in 1987 is estimated at $100,000-$200,000.Other sale items include a Dior handbag gifted to her by former French first lady Bernadette Chirac in 1995, a sketch of Diana’s 1981 wedding dress with tulle fabric cut-offs from when she married then Prince Charles in 1981, and a peach hat she wore for her honeymoon send-off. The auction also includes pieces belonging to other British royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and the queen mother.
Nolan had previously sold a dress belonging to Diana for $1.14 million. “People do consider these items as an asset class now, because if people own these items today, chances are in years to come they will sell them for more than what they pay for (at) auction,” he said. Part of the proceeds from the sale of Diana’s items will go to charity — Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The original Birkin that will be on sale at a Sotheby’s auction was crafted 40 years ago by French fashion house Hermès. The all-black leather prototype has become the most iconic and sought-after handbag in the world, commissioned in 1984 exclusively for and in collaboration with Jane Birkin, by then Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. It was exhibited publicly for the first time at Sotheby’s Paris Galleries last year, and at Sotheby’s Maison in Hong Kong earlier this year, and attracted thousands of visitors.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, said: “There is no doubt that the original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind – a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most refined way possible. It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin has become the most desirable bag in history and will most likely continue to be so for many years to come.”
The handbag stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional items with similar provenance — Princess Diana’s symbolic Black Sheep Sweater sold for $1,143,000 (estimated $50,000 – 80,000) and Freddie Mercury’s Crown and Cloak sold for £635,000/$801,560 (estimated £60,000-80,000), both of which set outstanding benchmarks for items of their kind.
