Sarah Jessica Parker's Oscar de la Renta Met Gala Gown Is Hitting the Auction Block

Say what you want about the Met Gala's biggest names and who closes out the annual event's star-studded red carpet — there's no denying that no matter what the year's theme is, you can count on Sarah Jessica Parker to not only understand the assignment, but to be the blueprint for a proper Met Gala guest. And one of her most jaw-dropping looks, ever, is headed to the auction block (sort of). Oscar de la Renta is giving shoppers a chance to get a replica of SJP's showstopper from 2014, the year that the exhibit celebrated American couturier Charles James.

The gown, which featured the designer's signature silhouette with a geometric black-and-white train, is up as part of the label's largest-ever drop for Encore, OdlR's dedicated resale site. The dress took 224 hours to create and is made of velvet and ivory duchesse satin.

“I said to Mr. De la Renta, please let me use scarlet embroidery thread, and splash your name across the back. It was my idea. He would never in a million years have done it, he’s far too modest," she told Vanity Fair that year.

“When Sarah Jessica came to the office for our first design meeting, she had a binder full of references to share with Oscar. It was truly a special collaboration. And for me, who didn’t ever go to design school, it was the biggest fashion lesson I could have gotten — on the floor of Oscar’s office," Fernando Garcia, co-creative director of Oscar de La Renta, shared via email.

SJP's gown will be the most noteworthy part of the collection, hanging (virtually) alongside a selection of vintage dresses — more than 50 pieces will be up for auction. Another fun fact about this drop is that every piece comes from just one collector, a rarity in any kind of auction.

Oscar de la Renta is giving shoppers (and Sex and the City fans) one more reason to shop. 30% of proceeds from the sale of the Met Gala gown will benefit Jefferson Market at New York Public Library. Bidding for the recreation of SJP’s dress will start at $7,500, but you can be sure that the final price will probably be much, much higher.

Oscar de la Renta launched its retail site, Encore, back in 2021 in partnership with Archive. According to the brand's website, every piece for sale on Encore is "meticulously assessed by archivists" and reconditioned by hand in the Oscar de la Renta atelier.

"We’ve been powering Oscar de la Renta's custom resale experience for more than two years now," Emily Gittins, CEO and co-founder of Archive, added. "We’re extremely proud to continue evolving our partnership through this latest drop of vintage dresses sourced exclusively from the closet of an avid collector."