Princess Diana’s iconic “revenge dress” is set to go on a world tour before it is sold at auction. The black silk gown, designed by Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian, became a global fashion symbol after Diana wore it in 1994. The event took place during a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at London’s Serpentine Gallery, and the dress gained its nickname because Diana wore it the same night Prince Charles publicly admitted to his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a documentary. The dress, known for its bold design—plunging neckline, above-the-knee hem, and black color—was a departure from traditional royal attire and reflected Diana’s emotional state at the time. Designed by Stambolian, the dress had initially been considered too risqué for Diana, but she chose to wear it anyway. Stambolian recalled that Diana wanted to make a powerful statement, comparing herself to the character Odile from Swan Lake, the darker, more assertive version of Odette. Diana also wore bright red nail polish, a rare choice for her, to emphasize the look. The dress became a defining image of her life, and it is expected to sell for between £110,000 and £220,000 (around $150,000 to $300,000) when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York in December. Before the sale, the dress will be displayed in London from September 18 to September 24 and will also be shown at Sotheby’s locations in Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York as part of a global exhibition tour. The dress will be sold alongside a numbered and signed copy of the original auction catalog, which credits Prince Charles with the idea of the charity fundraiser. Part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to NHS Lothian Charity, supporting the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. This will be the first time the dress has been sold since June 1997, when Diana sold 79 of her outfits to raise money for cancer and AIDS charities. The original owner, who bought the dress in 1997, described how Diana transformed it from a simple cocktail dress into a powerful statement in just moments. Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, Morgane Halimi, emphasized the dress’s significance, calling it a powerful message from Diana during a highly scrutinized time in her life. She noted that the dress allowed Diana to reclaim her narrative and inspired women worldwide to use fashion as a form of self-expression and empowerment. “What has endured across the decades is not the scandal surrounding that evening, but Princess Diana’s show of confidence and self-possession,” Halimi said. The “revenge dress” remains a symbol of resilience and a lasting influence on fashion and culture.