The saying diamonds are a girl’s best friend has been taken to a whole new level as the world's most expensive dress has been unveiled.
The dazzling dress is encrusted with 2000 stones in total including the star of the show: the world's rarest and most expensive red diamond.
The Abaya created by British designer Debbie Wingham may be attracting masses of attention because of its £11.7m price tag, but will anyone actually buy it?
Pricey: The Abaya created by British designer Debbie Wingham is the world's most expensive dress at £11.7m
Rare: The Abaya, which will go on sale at Raffles in Dubai, contains the world's rarest red diamond, which is valued at £4.98m alone
Debbie first made her mark on the fashion world when she unveiled a £3.5m black dress encrusted with 50 two carat black diamonds that weighed a hefty 29lbs (13kg) last year.
Her latest creation may be a simple abaya design (a loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world including in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsul) but the extravagant design and detailing makes it the most expensive item to ever go on sale.
Meet the designer: The Abaya is designed to respect the culture of Dubai that Debbie (pictured here with model) admires
The extravagant garment will launch on March 20th at the luxury Raffles Hotel in the Penthouse where she will hold private consultations and viewings with clients.
At the centre of the dress dazzles the world's rarest and most expensive diamond.
One in every hundred million diamonds is a natural red colour and they are found on average every 50 years but generally too small to speak of, so this is something quite special.
The individual diamond has a value of £4.89m.
Shine bright like a diamond: There are 2000 stones in total, including fifty 2 carat flawless white diamonds, fifty 2 carat flawless black diamonds and 1899 pointer diamonds, all set in platinum
There are 2000 stones in total, including fifty 2 carat flawless white diamonds, fifty 2 carat flawless black diamonds and 1899 pointer diamonds, which are all set in platinum.
The Abaya boasts over 200,000 stitches, all of which are hand-stitched in 14 carat white gold thread and delicate beading detail with a raised flower effect all created by hand adds some interesting detail.
Designer Debbie has chosen her favourite city Dubai as the place to launch her dazzling dress.
The dress was born out of Debbie's love and affinity with Dubai and her plans to make it her second home.
The Abaya is designed to respect the culture of Dubai that she admires, but she hopes to bring her signature flair to the design and breathe modern elements and couture techniques into the traditional dress.
Special: One in every hundred million diamonds is a natural red colour, making this vibrant red sparkler the rarest in the world
From April 2013 onwards Tijans atelier Dar Tijan in Dubai will be the exclusive stockist of Debbie's abayas.
Debbie, a self-taught designer whose mother was a seamstress, started her trading at Greenwich market at the age of 18 before opening her first boutique in Hoxton.
A year later she crossed the capital, opening a showroom on the Kings Road.
In 2005, one of her gowns was worn to the BAFTAs, prompting a renowned fashion columnist to write: 'the best dress at this year’s BAFTAs was a dress designed by an unknown designer, but watch this space'.
Seven years on, her designs have been worn by a client list including Kate Winslet, Hilary Swank, Amy Smart, Katherine Jenkins, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dita Von Teese, but only time will tell if anyone will snap up her latest pricey design.
Self-taught: Debbie is a self-taught seamtress whose fans include Kate Winslet, Hilary Swank, Katherine and Dita Von Teese, but will any of them snap up her latest design?
