Princess Diana

A Victor Edelstein lace evening dress belonging to Princess Diana, worn in London on January 25th and in Hamburg, Germany on November 6, 1987.

This evening dress was loaned for exhibition at Kensington Palace, from February 24, 2017, to February 2019, for Diana: Her Fashion Story. Kensington Palace commissioned artist Julie Verhoeven for illustrations of Diana wearing some of her well-known fashions throughout her life, one of the illustrations included the lace gown designed by Victor Edelstein. 

A magenta silk and lace evening dress designed by Victor Edelstein. The dress is off-the-shoulder with banded lace sleeves. A streamlined silhouette that remains fitted through the bodice and past the hips then goes into an ankle-length A-line skirt. The skirt has three tiers of gathered lace flounces with fringe scallop edges. Edelstein shows his couture skills by lining the dress in black silk, having a structured boned princess-seamed bodice, and hand-finished zip closure at the back of the garment. This dress was designed for Edelstein’s fall 1986 collection. 

The original model for the design in the 1986 collection was black lace with a gold underlay. Edelstein made the black lace and magenta colorway specifically for Diana, who would attend the rehearsals of the show to preview the collections where she would discuss with the designer alternative versions of the designs for her to wear. Diana wore a skirt suit with a dramatic peplum jacket designed by Edelstein on the same 1988 trip to Germany, which the designer recalls to be one of his favorite looks worn of his by Diana.

Victor Edelstein started his label in 1978 after working for English and French designers Biba and Dior. Edelstein first met Diana when she was pregnant with Prince William; he was given measurements although the measurements were not current. When he went to the palace to fit the pink taffeta gown he recalls, “She put on the dress, and it was a monster. We both had to laugh.” Diana like every woman had an instance when the dress wore her. Edelstein would go on to produce Diana’s most influential look an ink-blue velvet gown with a mermaid tail skirt that she wore when she danced with John Travolta at The White House.

Link to the image available upon request.

Lot does not come with designer illustration mentioned in the catalog description. Illustration referenced by the permission of designer Victor Edelstein.