Union Jack dress
Encyclopedia
The Union Jack dress was an item of clothing worn by singer Geri Halliwell
of the Spice Girls
at the 1997 BRIT Awards
. The mini dress featured a flag of the United Kingdom
, the Union Jack, on the front, and a white peace symbol
emblazoned on the black-coloured back of the dress. The next day the images of the dress made the front page of various newspapers around the world, and is now remembered as one of the most iconic pop moments of the 1990s and BRIT Awards
history. The dress has become synonymous with the Spice Girls, Halliwell and the notions of Girl Power
and Cool Britannia
.
mini dress which Halliwell was given to perform in concerned her, as she though it was too "boring". Then Halliwell decided she wanted to "celebrate being British", so she asked her sister to stitch on a Union Jack tea towel to the front as a patriotic gesture. After Karen, her sister, had sewn on the tea towel, Geri decided to wear it whilst performing "Who Do You Think You Are
" (with excerpts of "Wannabe
" in) at the BRIT Awards on 24 February 1997.
branch of Sotheby's
for £41,320. The buyer was Peter Morton, on behalf of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
, who displayed the piece of clothing as pop memorabilia. Morton bid via telephone, and beat other bidders such as The Sun
. Halliwell herself watched the "frenzied bid", as it was described by MTV
, and rapped the gavel
after the final bid. The dress was originally valued at £12,000, but eventually it sold at £36,200 (minus the 15% commission which totalled it to £41,320). Halliwell gave the proceeds of the dress sale to a children's cancer care charity. The BBC
commented on the sale, saying it "marks the end of Geri's links with the Girl Power image of the past". It holds the Guiness World Record for the most expensive piece of popstar clothing dealt at auction.
designed Halliwell a new Union Jack dress modelled on the original. The new version appeared slightly longer and the flag was made out of rhinestones and Swarovski crystals. It was reported by various media outlets that Halliwell had attempted to buy back the original dress prior to the commencement of their world tour.
Geri stated that ahead of the O2 Arena
dates that "we are a British band and seriously proud to fly the flag. Walking out in the Union Jack dress will be special." Halliwell stated in a later interview that she "liked" the new dress and that she had decided to keep it as memorabilia.
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
of the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
at the 1997 BRIT Awards
1997 BRIT Awards
The 1997 BRIT Awards were the 17th edition of the biggest annual pop music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 24 February 1997 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.-Live performers:...
. The mini dress featured a flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack. The current design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801...
, the Union Jack, on the front, and a white peace symbol
Peace symbol
A number of peace symbols have been used in various cultures and contexts, one of the most ancient being the olive branch. The dove and olive branch was used by early Christians and was later adopted as a secular symbol. It was popularised by Pablo Picasso in 1949 and became widely used in the...
emblazoned on the black-coloured back of the dress. The next day the images of the dress made the front page of various newspapers around the world, and is now remembered as one of the most iconic pop moments of the 1990s and BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
history. The dress has become synonymous with the Spice Girls, Halliwell and the notions of Girl Power
Girl Power
The phrase "girl power", as a term of empowerment, expressed a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s. It is also linked to third-wave feminism...
and Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia is a media term that was used during the late 20th century to describe the contemporary culture of the United Kingdom. The term was prevalent during the 1990s and later became closely associated with the early years of "New Labour" under Tony Blair...
.
Creation
At the 1997 BRIT Awards the Spice Girls were scheduled to perform, as well as being nominated for five awards, two of which they won. The black GucciGucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
mini dress which Halliwell was given to perform in concerned her, as she though it was too "boring". Then Halliwell decided she wanted to "celebrate being British", so she asked her sister to stitch on a Union Jack tea towel to the front as a patriotic gesture. After Karen, her sister, had sewn on the tea towel, Geri decided to wear it whilst performing "Who Do You Think You Are
Who Do You Think You Are
"Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s...
" (with excerpts of "Wannabe
Wannabe (song)
"Wannabe" is the debut song by British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" in) at the BRIT Awards on 24 February 1997.
Sale
In 1998, a year after Halliwell performed in the dress, she auctioned it off at the LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
branch of Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
for £41,320. The buyer was Peter Morton, on behalf of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, who displayed the piece of clothing as pop memorabilia. Morton bid via telephone, and beat other bidders such as The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
. Halliwell herself watched the "frenzied bid", as it was described by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and rapped the gavel
Gavel
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a chair or presiding officer. It is used to call...
after the final bid. The dress was originally valued at £12,000, but eventually it sold at £36,200 (minus the 15% commission which totalled it to £41,320). Halliwell gave the proceeds of the dress sale to a children's cancer care charity. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commented on the sale, saying it "marks the end of Geri's links with the Girl Power image of the past". It holds the Guiness World Record for the most expensive piece of popstar clothing dealt at auction.
2007 remake
For the 2007 Spice Girls reunion tour, named the Return of the Spice Girls, fashion designer Roberto CavalliRoberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli is an Italian fashion designer from Florence.-Biography:Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence, Tuscany. His grandfather, Giuseppe Rossi, was a member of the Macchiaioli Movement, whose work is exhibited in the Uffizi Gallery. Cavalli decided to enroll at the local Art Institute,...
designed Halliwell a new Union Jack dress modelled on the original. The new version appeared slightly longer and the flag was made out of rhinestones and Swarovski crystals. It was reported by various media outlets that Halliwell had attempted to buy back the original dress prior to the commencement of their world tour.
Geri stated that ahead of the O2 Arena
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
dates that "we are a British band and seriously proud to fly the flag. Walking out in the Union Jack dress will be special." Halliwell stated in a later interview that she "liked" the new dress and that she had decided to keep it as memorabilia.