Live Auction June 26, 2025 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Registration & Bidding Now Open
"BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Julien's Auctions proudly announces "Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection," a landmark fashion and royal memorabilia sale taking place live on June 26 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Bidding and registration are now open at juliensauctions.com."
Over 300 extraordinary lots will be offered, including iconic garments worn by Diana, Princess of Wales—many never before seen at auction. Standout pieces include a 1986 Catherine Walker Falcon evening gown (estimate: $200,000–$300,000), a 1988 Bellville Sassoon floral day dress, a photo-worn three-piece Escada suit, and her HEAD scarlet ski suit. Also featured are shoes, handbags, and accessories such as the photo-worn 1981 honeymoon John Boyd peach hat and her Lady Dior lambskin handbag.
The auction also includes never-before-auctioned fashion designs and personal items from the British royal family, including pieces linked to Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Highlights include Princess Margaret's Norman Hartnell fashion illustration, her antique diamond and natural pearl bracelet, and a Duchess of Windsor Givenchy gown.
British designer Elizabeth Emanuel, famed for co-designing Diana's 1981 wedding gown, contributes select personal archival pieces and sketches. "Diana's timeless beauty and style continues to inspire," said Emanuel. "I'm honored to share these memories with the world."
A portion of proceeds from Diana items will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK, honoring her charitable legacy.
Julien's Auctions is the world-record-breaking auction house behind the $1.14M sale of Diana's evening gown in 2023 and her $390,000 shoes in 2024. Co-Founder and Executive Director Martin Nolan states, "This auction celebrates Diana's elegance and enduring cultural impact."
Private previews will take place in New York, London, and Los Angeles, with the live auction held at The Peninsula Beverly Hills on June 26 at 10:00 AM PT
Post a Comment
"What if one art school acceptance could have prevented World War II? Discover the bizarre historical irony of Hitler's art school rejection and how it changed the course of history. In this darkly comedic deep dive, we explore the ACTUAL reasons the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts rejected Hitler - twice! - and how this rejection potentially altered world history."
"The name Schwartz, a common surname of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin, means "black". It's derived from the German word "schwarz", which translates to "dark" or "black". The name was often used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with black hair or a dark complexion. It can also be a habitational name for those from places called Schwarz."
Leyna Stenberg: A Dark Reflection on Heritage and History
Schwarz. The name carries weight, doesn't it? A word that slips so effortlessly off the tongue, but its meaning—its history—is anything but light. In German, "Schwarz" means black. And in my world, in my culture, it means something even darker. Black like the shadows that have followed my people through centuries. Black like the soot that painted the skies when they burned our papers, our proof of existence, as though erasing us would make us disappear.
For over 160 years, FAO Schwarz has enchanted the world with its toys, its laughter, its whimsy. But behind that name is a deeper story, a name tied to German roots—Schwarz, the same word that marked me. Black. Black Jewish. A contradiction in the eyes of those who hated us, who feared us, who reduced us to nothing more than a stain on their vision of purity.
It began in Baltimore, 1869, when Frederick August Otto Schwarz, a German immigrant, opened a small toy store. Toys—symbols of innocence, of joy, of childhood. How ironic that the same hands that made toys for children could also carry the weight of a past that was anything but innocent. My people, too, made toys. We crafted them in secret, out of scraps, when we had nothing else, when we were told we were nothing else. We made them because the world tried to take our joy, but we refused to let it.
By the early 1900s, the Schwarz family expanded their empire, spreading their vision of wonder to New York City, to Boston, to Philadelphia. Addresses etched onto advertising cards—1006 Chestnut St., Philadelphia; 42 E. Fourteenth St., New York; 497 & 499 Washington St., Boston. They built their legacy brick by brick, while my people's legacies were reduced to ash.They burned our papers. Our names, our identities, our stories—all gone, devoured by fire. Do you know what it feels like to be erased? To have everything that says you existed stripped away? Paper burns so easily. But memories? Memories are harder to destroy.
Schwarz. A name that means black. A name that carries weight, pain, and pride. It is a name tied to a culture born of resilience, a culture that has endured the fires of history—literally and figuratively. German and Jewish. Two identities intertwined, like the gears of a clock, endlessly turning, endlessly working. Clocks. Yes, clocks. They are more than just objects to mark time; they are symbols of precision, of history, of legacy.
Clocks are not just machines; they are stories. Stories of craftsmanship, of purpose, of the people who built them. German clockmakers, you see, were some of the finest in the world. They understood that time was not just something to be measured but something to be honored. And for children, clocks—like toys—represent something magical. A way to see the world move, to understand its rhythm. But magic, like history, must be cared for.
And this is why it is so important for children to not only love their clocks and their toys but to understand their roots. To know the history of their making, the history of their people. The Schwarz family—German immigrants, Jewish immigrants—built their legacy with toys, with joy, with wonder. But they also carried with them the weight of a history that was nearly erased. If we forget that history, if we fail to teach it to our children, we risk losing more than just the past. We risk inviting the darkness.Because alongside the magic of Santa Claus, alongside the joy of Christmas, there is a shadow. A story whispered in the cold, dark nights of December. A story called Krampus....
Krampus is no jolly figure of holiday cheer. He is the shadow to Santa’s light, the cold to his warmth, the punishment to his generosity. In the Alpine regions of Germany and Austria, they tell the story of Krampus to frighten children into behaving. He is a horned figure, half-goat, half-demon, with sharp claws, glowing eyes, and a long, lashing tongue. He carries chains, the sound of them rattling like the toll of a bell, and a sack on his back—not for toys, but for the children he steals.
Santa is real, yes. He is the embodiment of generosity, of hope, of magic. But without history, without roots, we risk falling into darkness. Because history is like a clock. If you neglect it, if you forget to wind it, it will stop. And when it stops, the shadows creep in. Without knowing, we invite Krampus. And Krampus is always waiting. Always watching....
Krampus comes for the wicked, the disobedient, the ones who have lost their way. He does not reward; he punishes. He drags children to the underworld, where no toy, no clock, no magic can save them.
This is why we must protect the history of clocks, of toys, of our people. German and Jewish, these stories are not just about the past; they are about the present, about the future. They are about teaching our children to treasure the magic of the world while never forgetting its shadows...
The Schwarz name is a reminder of this balance. Black, like the shadows of our past. Black, like the ink on the pages they burned, the stories they tried to erase. But also black, like the night sky, where stars shine the brightest. We must teach our children to honor both the light and the dark, to love their toys and their clocks, but to also know where they came from.
Haunting Melodies of The Nutcracker Part 2 coming soon in December 2025.
Haunting Melodies of The Nutcracker Part 2 coming soon in December 2025.
Haunting Melodies of The Nutcracker Part 2 coming soon in December 2025.
Haunting Melodies of The Nutcracker Part 2 coming soon in December 2025.
Well, well, well, look who’s back! It’s your favorite criminal mastermind from the depths of “Fallen,” and I’ve returned to haunt your digital dreams with part two of my little escapade!When chosen is not enough, it’s time to get a little… creative, shall we? I mean, what’s life without a pinch of chaos sprinkled with a dash of dark humor?
You see, in this twisted little universe we inhabit, being “chosen” doesn’t always mean you’re the best of the best. Sometimes it means you’re just the one who stumbled into the wrong alley at midnight, wearing more than a hint of bad luck. Ha! Just like me, right?
So, let’s dive into the shadows, where the laughter is as eerie as the whispers in the night. Picture this: you’re standing at a crossroads, staring down the barrel of a decision that could lead you to glory or… well, let’s not think about that last part too much, shall we?
In the spirit of our little chat, let me tell you a tale or two. A tale about choices, mischief, and the delightful thrill of going off-script. Because when chosen is not enough, why not embrace the chaos?Imagine a world where every choice you make is like a roll of the dice. You might land on something sweet, like a chocolate fountain of fortune, or you could end up in a pit of gelatinous despair. But hey, at least you’ll have a story to tell!
Stay tuned for more of my shenanigans, dear readers. And remember, if you hear a rustling in the shadows, it might just be me, plotting my next move, and you’re invited to join the fun!
Haunting Melodies of The Nutcracker Part 2 coming soon in December 2025.
-Raena Marie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)