9 Most Expensive Dresses Ever Sold at Auction
HOLIDAY NEWS - At auction all rare works of art, paintings and sculptures are worth millions of dollars. Many fashion lovers are also getting serious about collecting the most expensive dresses in the world.
Over the years, striking outfits worn by pop culture icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana have fetched huge prices, both at public and private sales. As a result, the value of vintage and historic clothing continues to increase.
For example, in early April 2024, a rare Paco Rabanne dress was sold by Fair Warning, a new highly curated auction platform, for US$ 112,100. This spring 1967 collection dress is made of chain aluminum squares and rectangular plates. The selling price of a dress by Paco Rabanne successfully broke the world record. "This dress is probably 10 times rarer than the works of most artists from the sixties," explained Fair Warning founder Loic Gouzer, quoted by Vogue.com.
However, this was not the only expensive dress sold at auction. In the past year many famous dresses were even worth several million dollars including Marilyn Monroe's iconic subway dress and one of Princess Diana's most photographed dresses. Vogue takes a look at some very special and very expensive items. Here are the most expensive dresses ever sold at auction:
1. 1967 Paco Rabanne Dress
(photo; Nina Slavcheva)
In April 2024, a rare Paco Rabanne dress was sold on Fair Warning, a new, well-curated auction platform for US$112,100. The spring 1967 collection dress was made from an aluminum box of chains and rectangular plates. The selling price for this work by Paco Rabanne set a world record.
2. Princess Diana's Jacques Azagury dress
Princess Diana's Jacques Azagury dress (photo: Getty Images)
In January 2024, a Jacques Azagury dress worn by Princess Diana in Florence in the 1980s sold for US$1,148,080 at Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies Hollywood Legends auction. This dress broke the world record as the most expensive Princess Diana dress ever sold at auction.
3. Audrey Hepburn dress
(photo: Getty Images)
In 2006, the black Givechy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's sold for US$807,000 at a Christie's auction. The sale price was up to seven times the pre-sale estimate.
4. Jean Louis Marilyn Monroe dress
Jean Louis Marilyn Monroe dress
(photo: Getty Images)
In 2016, a Jean Louis "naked" dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962 sold for US$4.8 million at a Julien's auction sale. This dress was worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President JFK. The dress was purchased by Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum and worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2022 Met Gala.
5. Kate Middleton's sheer dress
Kate Middleton's sheer dress
(photo: Getty Images)
In 2011, a sheer dress worn by Kate Middleton sold for US$125,000 at Kerry Taylor Auctions. The dress was worn by Middleton during St. Mary's University's annual charity fashion show. Andrews' theme was "Don't Walk."
6. Dorothy's The Wizard of Oz dress
Dorothy's The Wizard of Oz dress
(photo: Getty Images)
The gingham dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz sold for US$1,565,000 at a Turner Classic Movies auction in 2015. The dress is one of two Dorothy costumes in existence.
7. Princess Diana's Victor Edelstein dress
Princess Diana's Victor Edelstein dress (Photo: Getty Images)
The Victor Edelstein black velvet dress worn by Princess Diana sold for US$290,000 in 2019. The dress was purchased by The Historical Royal Palaces. Previously, Princess Diana wore this dress when she danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.
8. William Travilla dress by Marilyn Monroe
William Travilla dress by Marilyn Monroe (photo: Getty Images)
The white dress or better known as the famous "Subway Grate Dress" worn by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch sold for US$5.6 million through the Profiles in History auction house. The white dress was designed by film costume designer William Travilla.
9. My Fair Lady dress by Audrey Hepburn
My Fair Lady dress by Audrey Hepburn (photo: Getty Images)
In 2011, the Cecil Beaton-designed ensemble that Audrey Hepburn wore to the Ascot races in My Fair Lady fetched US$4.5 million at auction at Profiles in History.
Post a Comment