Fashion royalty under the hammer

The highest bidder can own Diana's wardrobe & Jane Birkin's bag

- VAISHALI DAR

FASHION LOVERS CAN look forward to two big auctions in the next few weeks. First, late Princess Diana's clothes, hats, handbags and shoes will go under the hammer on June 26. Second, Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin bag, named after the English-French actress and singer, will hit the auction block in Paris on July 10.

A collection titled Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection with over 100 items will go under the hammer by Julien's Auctions, a privately held auction house based in Beverly Hills, California. The late Princess reshaped the image of the British monarchy through clothing, using style as powerful communication.

"This is the largest Princess Diana auction because we have over 100 items from her amazing life and career. We sold over 70 of her dresses back in 1997 to raise money for her charity," Martin Nolan, executive director and co-founder of Julien's Auctions, told Reuters.