Princess Diana's 1981 black sheep sweater sold at auction for over $1.1 million ------------------- By Camilla Alcini (GMA) Few items can tell the story of Princess Diana like her iconic black sheep sweater, sold by Sotheby's on Thursday for $1,143,000, after two weeks of online bidding -- a world record for a jumper at auction and for any item of clothing worn by the late Princess of Wales. The sweater fetched a total of 44 bids, ultimately driving the final price over 14 times its initial $80,000 high estimate. A 15-minute bidding battle near closing drove the sale from $190,000 to its final price of just over $1.1 million. A piece of cultural significance, the sweater headlined the Fashion Icons collection, Sotheby's inaugural online auction that opened Aug. 31. The sale featured a curated selection of 10 iconic fashion pieces from influential figures and designers, including an evening gown worn by Diana in 1985; Sarah Jessica Parker's vintage bridal headpiece from the first "Sex and the City" movie, which was also featured in the Max show "And Just Like That..."; two dresses belonging to former first lady Michelle Obama and Kate Winslet; a vintage lace wedding veil worn by Madonna on the first Icon Issue of Vanity Fair; and four Hermès bags of high value. It was Diana's black sheep sweater, however, that attracted most of the bids and attention. "This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana's grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion," Cynthia Houlton, Sotheby's global head of fashion and accessories, said in a statement. "It's an honor to offer this historic sweater in our inaugural Fashion Icons auction, placing it in dialogue with other memorable and culturally important items of clothing." Much of the fascination over the sweater comes from the symbolism attributed to the design, with Diana reportedly feeling like an outsider in the British royal family from the early stages of her union with then-Prince Charles (now King Charles III). For others, the significance of the sheep motif is linked to the British countryside as well as the innocence, gentleness and purity of animal that the young British princess embodied in her role as mother and philanthropist.