When it comes to royal vintage style icons, it doesn’t get much more notable than Princess Diana and screen star-turned-princess Grace Kelly.
It's unsurprising therefore that dresses worn by the late royals sold at auction in Los Angeles on Thursday for totals that far exceeded expectations.
Diana’s little black cocktail dress and Grace's green cape dress were sold at the Unstoppable: Signature Styles Of Iconic Women In Fashion auction at Julien’s Auctions for a combined total of over half a million pounds.
Style icon Diana's black dress that she wore the dress to a private event in 1993 was designed by Catherine Walker - a household name in British royal fashion. It featured an above-the-knee silhouette, a Bardot neckline and long sleeves, with a nautical black and white pattern across the neck and the cuffs - an elevated, fashion-forward piece that embodied the princess' signature chic dress code of the 90s.
© Unique NicoleIt was estimated to sell for between $100,000 and $200,000 but went under the hammer for $325,000 (£256,000).
Actress-turned-royal Grace Kelly’s dress was a green tweed Givenchy number featuring a matching half-sleeve cape and a material waist belt - an ensemble that oozed 1960s elegance.
The Princess of Monaco wore the Givenchy outfit in 1961 with her husband Prince Rainier III to meet President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the White House.
This dress was estimated to sell for between $60,000 and $80,000 but sold for the same price as Diana’s Catherine Walker dress.
Other iconic items that sold in the sale included a Patricia Field three-tiered tutu worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City, which sold for £41,000 and a Burberry trench worn by the late Whitney Houston in 2008, which sold for £3,600.
Royal fashion items, particularly ones worn by those by sartorial icons like Diana, often sell for unexpectedly (but expected) high prices. Last month, the fashion icon’s black and blue velvet evening gown designed by Jacques Azagury sold for a record-breaking £900,000.
Perhaps slightly beyond the realms of our price range - but a girl can dream, right?
