At first sight, Kim Kardashian’s attire at the Met Gala may appear to be a lovely but basic nude gown. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, since the garment is part of Hollywood’s history.
We wanted to tell you everything about the garment’s previous splendor and what the ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ star had to accomplish to be able to wear it.
A little bit of the dress’ back story.
Let’s go back to 1962 when Marilyn Monroe performed a serenade at Madison Square Garden for President John F. Kennedy. The gown was given the nickname “Happy birthday Mr. President dress” as she sang the lyrics to the well-known song “Happy birthday.” The costume generated a commotion at the time due to its revealing aspect, and Kim Kardashian reportedly dubbed it “the original nude outfit.”
The world’s most expensive dress ever sold in an auction.
Marilyn Monroe requested “a truly historical dress, a dazzling dress that is one of a kind” from her designer. Bob Mackie, a recently graduated designer, created the sketch, and designer Jean Louis brought the concept to life. Marylin is alleged to have paid $1,440 for the item.
At an auction in 2016, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum paid $4.8 million for Marilyn Monroe’s custom piece. Since then, the garment has soared in value. And it is currently worth more than $10 million. Kim Kardashian stated that she enjoys auctions and that it was through them that she met some people in the industry, the same ones who introduced her to Ripley’s Museum.
Kim Kardashian had to try on a copy of the gown
Because of the gown’s historical significance, it wasn’t enough to simply ask for it and put it on. Kim Kardashian had to try on a copy of the gown to check if it would fit her figure. The imitation seemed wonderful for her, but when it came time to try the actual thing, she was not happy with it.
“It was the dress or nothing” for the TV actress, so she followed a stringent fitness regimen until it fit her like a glove. She even went as far as to tint her hair platinum blonde to imitate Marylin’s original look. The dress was handled with extreme care, with professionals providing advice.
Kim couldn’t apply her typical body makeup at the Met because of the outfit’s integrity. So, she just wore it for images on the red carpet. Kim changed into the dress replica, which was also provided to her by Ripley’s Museum, as she and Pete reached the top of the steps.
The museum announced on social media that their cartoonist created an iconic reproduction of Bob Mackie’s sketch, which features reality TV sensation, Kim Kardashian. Meanwhile, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star expressed her gratitude on social media for being able to wear the legendary outfit worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962.
Which of the facts made the biggest impression on you? What do you think of Kim’s decision to wear the original historic gown? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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