By Leah Dolan, CNN
(CNN) – Princess Diana wore many incredible outfits over the years, leaving behind an indelible impact on fashion history in terms of royal dress codes, semiotics, and more. From her unforgettable wedding dress to the black velvet cocktail dress the media dubbed her “revenge dress” in 1994, to the pioneering penchant for sport and entertainment she displayed throughout the 1990s, Diana’s bold sense of style has become part of her enduring legacy.
But on Thursday in New York, the record for the highest price paid at auction for a gown worn by Princess Diana was not broken by an elegant evening dress or rare accessory by the designer. Instead, it was casual country knitwear.
The item: A “Black Sheep” jacket first worn by the late Diana when she attended a polo match in 1981, when she was engaged to King Charles III. This piece was the star of Sotheby’s recent Fashion Icons auction in New York, where it sold for $1,143,000 in just 15 minutes of bidding.
Previously, the Prince achieved record sales for a piece of Diana’s wardrobe with a Victor Edelstein dress he designed for her in 1989. The strapless burgundy silk velvet dress was designed with an elegant tulip skirt, and was largely seen as a pivotal example On Diana Khayati’s maturity. It sold for $604,800 at auction earlier this year.
But the bizarre jacket sold today not only exceeded that record amount, but also became the most valuable jacket ever sold at auction. (Sotheby’s said the record was previously held by Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan Speech during Nirvana’s performance on MTV Unplugged.)
Created in 1979 by knitwear designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne under their Warm & Wonderful brand, this garment features a pattern of white sheep arranged in rows. A black sheep stands out from the crowd on the front of the jacket.
However, just weeks after wearing it, Diana reported a small defect in one of the cuffs, and Buckingham Palace returned it to the label. Muir and Osborne did not hesitate to sew a new piece for her, and they later received a letter of thanks from the palace. Diana later “re-worn” this alternate piece to the 1983 polo match shown above.
The jacket was initially expected to fetch between $50,000 and $80,000, but after a total of 44 bids, the price reached 14 times higher than expected, according to Sotheby’s.
“We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana,” Muir and Osborne said in a statement.
CNN Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Company. Discovery. All rights reserved.