On Thursday, September 14, 2023, Princess Diana's ‘black sheep’ knit sweater in the colour red was sold at an auction in New York for $1.1 million, the highest price paid for any garment sold at an auction that was worn by the Princess.
The sweater was the star lot at Sotheby's latest Fashion Icons auction in New York. It jumped to the final price from $190,000 in the last 15 minutes of the sale, fetching a whopping $1,143,000.
The original estimated price for the sweater was between $50,000 and $80,000 but after about 44 bids, the price reached 14 times higher than the expected one, stated Sotheby's.
Additionally, the sweater has not only sold at the highest price but also has become the most valuable sweater ever sold at an auction. According to Sotheby's this record was previously held by a cardigan word by Kurt Cobain during a Nirvana performance on MTV Unplugged.
The sweater was first worn by the late Diana when she attended a polo match in 1981, while engaged to the now King Charles III. Featuring a pattern of white sheep arranged in rows, the piece was created in 1979 by knitwear designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. In the entire sweater, one black sheep stands out from the crowd on the front.
{{/usCountry}}The sweater was first worn by the late Diana when she attended a polo match in 1981, while engaged to the now King Charles III. Featuring a pattern of white sheep arranged in rows, the piece was created in 1979 by knitwear designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. In the entire sweater, one black sheep stands out from the crowd on the front.
{{/usCountry}}However, it was later returned to the label by Buckingham Palace after Diana reported a small problem in one of the cuffs. The brand created a brand new piece for her for which she sent a letter of gratitude to them.
Princess Diana re-wore the replaced piece in 1983 at a polo match.
“We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana,” said Sally and Joanna in a statement.