In the lavish world of high fashion, dresses are more than just garments; they are symbols of cultural moments, embodiments of artistic vision, and occasionally, artefacts of historical significance. This allure often translates into astronomical values when these dresses find their way to the auction block.
Earlier this month a black and blue velvet evening dress once owned by Princess Diana sold for a record-breaking £900,000 ($1.14 million) designed by Jacques Azagury, it is a romantic ballerina-length evening dress worn by the late Princess in Florence in 1985 and Vancouver in 1986. After fetching the astronomical bid at Julian's auction in Hollywood, it leaved us to wonder what other royal and A-list fashion statements have been sold for a hefty price tag in recent years.
From Princess Diana's iconic 'Travolta' dress to Princess Grace of Monaco’s green Givenchy number, certain gowns have not only captivated the public imagination but have also fetched staggering prices at auction. Scroll on to read the stories behind these iconic pieces and the reasons they commanded such breathtaking sums. These are some of the most expensive dresses to ever be sold at auction...
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Princess Grace of Monaco’s Givenchy dress
Back in 2007, an Irish Company acquired Princess Grace of Monaco’s green Givenchy dress which she wore during an official visit to the White House for lunch with President Kennedy in 1961. The dress was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York for $135,000 and now resides in Ireland's Museum of Style Icons.
© ROBERT LEROY KNUDSEN/JFK LIBRARYPrincess Diana’s Victor Edelstein Gown
Earlier this year another Princess Diana gown was auctioned off, selling for a stellar £488,150. Worn by the princess to front the July 1997 cover of Vanity Fair, the strapless purple velvet number was designed by famed courtier Victor Edelstein and sold for almost six times the estimated price.
© Snowdon / Camera PressAudrey Hepburn's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Dress
We all know it, and we all dream of one day wearing something half as spectacular. Worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the slim-fitting black Givenchy dress quickly became one of the fashion world's most notable dresses, selling for £467,200 back in 2006.
© Silver Screen CollectionMarilyn Monroe’s ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ Gown
Back in 2016 Marilyn Monroe's reknown ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ gown was purchased by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for an astonishing £3,857,200. The figure-hugging garment, which we saw worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2022 Met Gala continues to remain as the world's most expensive dress ever sold at auction. The gown, designed by Jean Louis, is adorned with over 6000 hand-sewn rhinestones.
© Cecil Stoughton/White House PhotographsEliza Doolittle's 'My Fair Lady' Ascot Dress
One of the most expensive items ever to sell at auction was once again donned by actress and muse, Audrey Hepburn. Worn whilst playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Audrey’s white lace gown sold for £2,900,000 in 2015.
© Sunset BoulevardPrincess Dianas ‘Travolta’ dress
Possibly one of the most well-photographed dresses in modern history, Diana donned a floor-length black velvet gown while attending a state dinner in 1985. Images of Princess Diana dancing with actor John Travolta soon came to light and fashion phonetics and royal fans later coined the dress the ‘Travolta dress’. When the dress first went to auction in 2019 it failed to reach its £200,000 reserve price but was later sold to Historic Royal Palaces for £264,000.
© EPAMarilyn Monroe's 'Seven Year Itch' Subway Grate Dress
Of course, Marilyn's iconic floating Seven Year Itch dress had to be on the list. The actress wore the white gown whilst standing over a subway grate in the 1955 classic, and ever since then, we’ve never looked at a halter neck gown, or a subway grate the same. "The piece of fashion history sold for an astonishing sold by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011 for $5,658,000," explains Live Auctioneers.
© BettmannPrincess Diana’s Jacques Azagury evening dress
It would be a crime not to include Princess Di’s aforementioned gown that broke a world record for the most expensive dress, worn by Diana, sold at auction. The iconic piece was a showstopper back in 1985 when she wore it to dinner in Florence, Italy, and remains a headturner to this day. The very 80s-coded gown was expected to sell for £78,776 but skyrocketed past its estimate to £904,262.
© Princess Diana ArchivePrincess Kate's Sheer University Catwalk Dress
Back in 2002, before Kate Middleton married into the world of royalty, she sported a sheer midi-length dress on a charity catwalk which later became one of the fashion world's most iconic garments. The dress sold for £78,000 back in 2011 at Kerry Taylor Auctions' Passion for Fashion Auction, grossly exceeding the expectation price of £10,000.
© GettyDorothy's Dress From 'The Wizard of Oz'
In 2015, an auction in New York saw a remarkable sale when a collector acquired the blue-and-white gingham apron and shirt ensemble for $1,600,000 (£1,200,00) This outfit, made iconic by Judy Garland, was her costume in the classic film The Wizard of Oz, where she portrayed the character Dorothy.
© Silver Screen Collection
