Princess Diana's iconic knit will go up for auction at Sotheby's this September. The red wool knit with one black sheep in a herd of white sheep is expected to sell for $80,604, an unprecedented amount for a knitwear. Last January, the late princess's prom dress sold for $800,<>.
Princess Diana was photographed with the knit when she was 19 during a polo match, shortly after her engagement to Prince Charles. Some speculated that Diana liked the pattern on the "Black Sheep" knit because she felt she did not belong to the royal family.
The black sheep example, photo: AFP
By that time, Diana was already a fashion icon and one of the most photographed women in the world. The knit was designed by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, who created the sweater for their small knitwear brand Warm & Wonderful. A few weeks later, Muir and Osborne received an official letter from Buckingham Palace explaining that part of the lattice had been unraveled by mistake, requesting that it be repaired or replaced. A new sweater was knitted and shipped, and Diana was photographed wearing it with white jeans and a tie with a black ribbon at an event in 1983.
Warm & Wonderful still produces a cotton knit version of the design, which sells for €220.
Cynthia Holton, Sotheby's global head of fashion and accessories, said: "This extraordinary, carefully preserved garment carries Princess Diana's grace, charm and keen eye for fashion."
The sweater will be on display at Sotheby's showroom in New York from September 7-13. Online submissions will open on August 31 and continue until September 14.
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