The iconic emerald-green dress worn by Keira Knightley in the 2007 romantic drama Atonement is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s auction house in London. The gown, which became one of the film’s most memorable fashion pieces, is expected to fetch up to £120,000 (approximately $161,000).

Designed by Jacqueline Durran, the backless silk dress will be auctioned on December 9 as part of Christie’s sale titled Love & Lust: A Literary Guide. Knightley wore it while playing Cecilia Tallis in director Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel.

The dress appears in a pivotal library scene in which Cecilia and Robbie, played by James McAvoy, finally express their feelings for each other after a period of romantic tension.

Durran previously told Entertainment Weekly in 2017 that the filmmakers understood the importance of the scene from the beginning. Director Wright wanted a memorable dress that would stand out on screen. However, she said the extent to which the outfit would resonate with audiences came as a surprise.

Keira Knightley wearing the iconic emerald-green dress in Atonement
Keira Knightley in the iconic green gown from Atonement. Image: Collected

The designer explained that Wright wanted a green dress with a full skirt and movement at the hem. He also wanted it to reflect the heat of the summer day in which the scene takes place.

To achieve that effect, Durran used fine, lightweight fabric and drew inspiration from fashion references from the 1920s and 1930s.

Fashion historian and author Wren Sanders Young has also highlighted the symbolism of green in romantic storytelling, linking the colour with passionate love and forbidden relationships. She described the gown as one of the most discussed green dresses in recent years.

Thais Hitchins, head of sale at Christie’s London, described the outfit as one of the most instantly recognisable dresses in fashion history. She said it represents desire, passion and tragic romance.

After the film's release, the dress was removed from the production archive and sold at a charity auction in 2008. It has since remained in a private collection in the United States, according to a Christie’s spokesperson.

The upcoming auction is expected to attract film memorabilia collectors, fashion enthusiasts, museums and institutions interested in costume history.

Other notable items in the sale include original poster artwork from the 1927 science-fiction film Metropolis and the 1931 horror film Dracula. The collection also features handwritten letters from British naval officer Horatio Nelson to Emma, Lady Hamilton, and a costume worn by ballerina Margot Fonteyn in a 1960 production of The Sleeping Beauty.

Film costumes have previously achieved significant prices at international auctions. Audrey Hepburn’s black dress, designed by Hubert de Givenchy for the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, sold at Christie’s in 2006 for £467,200. In 2017, Hepburn’s personal clothing and memorabilia collection fetched a total of £4.63 million.

A dress worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind also sold for $137,000 in 2015.