Dress Princess Diana wore as she danced with John Travolta fails to sell at auction - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Dress Princess Diana wore as she danced with John Travolta fails to sell at auction

Reuters | ByReuters
Dec 11, 2019 05:28 PM IST

The dress, offered as part of a Passion for Fashion sale by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, had an estimated price tag of 250,000-300,000 pounds ($320,750 - $385,000).

A midnight blue velvet gown that Princess Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta at a 1985 White House state dinner failed to sell at auction on Monday, though two of her other dresses went for above their estimated prices.

Dress Princess Diana wore as she danced with John Travolta fails to sell at auction.(Instagram)
Dress Princess Diana wore as she danced with John Travolta fails to sell at auction.(Instagram)

The off-the-shoulder bodiced Victor Edelstein frock, which flares up at the knee, is one of the most recognisable dresses ever worn by Diana, who died in 1997.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The dress, offered as part of a Passion for Fashion sale by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, had an estimated price tag of 250,000-300,000 pounds ($320,750 - $385,000). However it failed to reach those figures during live bidding.

Before the sale, auctioneer Kerry Taylor told Reuters there had been buyer interest from Britain and the United States. She said the dress had previously been bought in 2013 for 200,000 pounds “by a romantic gentleman who wanted basically to cheer up his wife”.

“But since then it’s spent most of its time locked away in a wardrobe and now as a couple they feel they really want this to go out into the public domain.”

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment last week, Travolta said he was nervous when he and Diana took to floor.

“(I thought) I’ve got to go back to my school days of learning ballroom dancing and show that I can lead her,” the “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever” star said.

 

“I didn’t know until I got there that I was supposed to dance with her ... (Diana) didn’t know that (then U.S. First Lady) Nancy Reagan hadn’t told me yet that this was the plan, that I was the Prince Charming of the evening.”

The two Diana dresses that sold were a Katherine Cusack midnight blue velvet evening gown, which went for a hammer price of 48,000 pounds - above its 20,000 - 30,000 pounds estimate - and a short navy Catherine Walker day outfit, which had a 4,000 - 6,000 pound price tag and went for 28,000 pounds.

Other items under the hammer included pieces by Givenchy, Christian Dior and other luxury labels.

Britain's Princess Diana's Victor Edelstein midnight-blue velvet evening gown (estimated at £250,000 - £350,000), which was worn by the princess when she danced with actor John Travolta at the White House in 1985. Also pictured is her Katherine Cusack evening gown (estimated at £20,000 -£30,000) and her Catherine Walker dress (estimated £4,000 - £6,000), displayed at Kerry Taylor auctions in London, Britain December 8, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls (REUTERS)
Britain's Princess Diana's Victor Edelstein midnight-blue velvet evening gown (estimated at £250,000 - £350,000), which was worn by the princess when she danced with actor John Travolta at the White House in 1985. Also pictured is her Katherine Cusack evening gown (estimated at £20,000 -£30,000) and her Catherine Walker dress (estimated £4,000 - £6,000), displayed at Kerry Taylor auctions in London, Britain December 8, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls (REUTERS)

A Gabrielle Chanel embroidered evening coat, dating from 1918-20, sold for 90,000 pounds - well above its 8,000 - 12,000 pound estimate. An Autumn-Winter 1967-68 Balenciaga cocktail dress sold for 18,000 pounds.

A rare ensemble by designer John Galliano - entitled Afghanistan Repudiates Western Ideals and made up of a tail-coat with exaggerated shoulders, an oversized striped cotton shirt and loose dhoti trousers - sold for 70,000 pounds.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On