Sotheby's to Auction Princess Diana's Original Sheep Sweater
This will be the first time the sweater goes up for auction.
When most people rummage through their attic, they stumble upon forgotten photographs or an old stuffed animal from childhood. When Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, co-founders of Warm & Wonderful, went through their attic earlier this year, they came across Princess Diana's iconic black sheep sweater.
Now, the sweater will find solace in the comfort of a new home — but hopefully not an attic — as it is set to be auctioned in Sotheby's Inaugural Fashion Icons sale this September.
"This past March, as we were rummaging through the attic searching for an old pattern, we spotted a small box. Inside, tucked away beside a cotton bedspread was Diana’s original red sheep sweater from 1981. Now, almost four decades later, this one-of-a-kind sheep sweater is ready to make its way into the hands of a fortunate collector," said Muir and Osborne in a statement.
The Princess of Wales first wore the design in June 1981, in attendance at one Prince (now King) Charles's summer polo matches. It was one of the first pieces designed by Muir and Osborne and became as close as you can get to viral from that time once the look was immortalized on the front page of the Sunday newspaper.
The story takes a twist when a note was sent from the Buckingham Palace requesting a new sweater, as Princess Diana damaged the one she had. The "People's Princess" would go on to wear the replicated design in 1983 at another polo match, further establishing the sweater's legacy.
