Art News

Princess Diana’s Racy Black Dress Bought by Fashion Museum

LONDON (AP).- A racy black gown worn by Lady Diana Spencer on one of her first official engagements has been snapped up by a Chilean fashion museum for nearly 200,000 pounds (more than $275,000) — several times the original estimate. The strapless silk taffeta dress’s revealing cut and striking black color caused a minor scandal when Diana was pictured stepping out of a limousine in the outfit in at a London charity event in 1981. But while some thought the dress was too daring for the 19-year-old royal bride-to-be, it helped turn Diana into an overnight fashion icon. “I think Diana didn’t really have a particular sense of style, I mean, she dressed as a typical ‘Sloane Ranger’ of that time, you know, with the skirts, cardigan, little sweater, pearls, it was kind of a uniform for girls of that age,” said Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed the black dress with her then-husband David.