Kim Kardashian’s decision to wear Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” gown to the Met Gala in May is again under scrutiny, with many online, including Monroe’s historian, suggesting she damaged the dress.
Kardashian borrowed the dress from Ripley’s believe it or not! The museum he bought from a 2016 auction for $4.8 million. Designed by Jean Louis, the dress was originally worn by Monroe at President John F. Kennedy’s birthday fundraiser in 1962. “The dress is now valued at over $10 million,” According to Ripley.
On Wednesday, Scott Fortner, a Monroe historian who oversees the Marilyn Monroe Collection, which collects the actor’s personal belongings and archives, shared, several pictures On Instagram, she shows the condition of the dress before and after the Met Gala.
Fortner wrote: “Without a doubt, the damage is great.” one job, noting that there are “missing crystals, some left hanging by a thread” in the photo that follows. The photo was sent to him by Chad Michael Morissette, who snapped a photo of it during its presentation at the Ripley’s location in Hollywood on June 12.
Fortner did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But Morissette confirmed to NBC News that he took the photo at the Ripley Museum in Hollywood on Sunday and sent it to Fortner.
“On both sides of the zipper, the fabric was just as frayed as a shredded chicken,” said Morissette, a visual artist and fashion expert who said he helped showcase the dress at the 2016 auction that Ripley bought from him.
There was also visible compression and the loss of sequins in the back of the dress, according to Morissette, who described the damage he saw as “shocking.”
“I’ve seen this dress over the years and worked with it myself, and knew right away there was irreparable damage.”
A spokesperson for Ripley’s did not respond to a request for comment or to verify that it was indeed a recent photo of the dress. The Ripley’s Hollywood website Visitors say they can access Marilyn Monroe memorabilia but does not specify what is on display. A Hollywood staffer confirmed by phone that the dress is currently on, but referred NBC News to its PR team for more information and comment.
Pictures posted by Fortner showing the damage done to the dress sparked criticism on social media this week, with some re-showing their refusal to choose Kardashian’s outfits. A Kardashian spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The Reason Kim Kardashian Ruined Marilyn Monroe’s Dress Isn’t Actually About the Dress,” One Person Says chirp Tuesday. “Marilyn was a smart and kind woman who has been exploited, abused and exploited her whole life and even in death she is still disrespected”
Others posted photos of other unrelated celebrity outfits, such as Bjork’s swan dress, joking that it was “another dress Kim Kardashian destroyed.”
Ripley said in Blog post After the Met Gala, there was hesitation about Kardashian wearing the dress at first, given that it was “seldom separated from his dress form, let alone worn by anyone other than Monroe”.
Care has been taken to preserve this piece of history, the museum wrote. “With input from conservationists, appraisers, archivists, and insurance, Ripley and Kim knew they could realize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And, agreeing that the condition of the clothing was a top priority, it was agreed that there would be no changes to the dress” .
The museum also said that because preserving the historic dress was a “top priority,” Kardashian only wore the original dress for her carpet look.
Kardashian Fogg said She only wore the “original dress for a few minutes” and she altered the dress itself in the private fitting room at the Met Gala’s staircase, with the help of a Ripley conservationist. On the red carpet, Vogue told that she lost 16 pounds to fit the dress. “It was such a challenge, it was like the role. I was determined to match it.”
…the best way to prevent the damage that exists in a historic collection is not to wear it.
– Sarah Scattoro, Eric and Jane Nord, Senior Conservative at the Cleveland Museum of Art
“There were inescapable dangers when wearing historic clothing like the Monroe gown — no matter how many precautions were in place,” said Sarah Scattoro, who was a restorer at the Metz Institute of Fashion previously.
Scaturo, head of restoration at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Eric and Jane Nord, said she had seen pictures of the alleged damage to the dress online, but had not checked it herself.
In general, she said, “Historical clothing is fragile, especially embroidered silk like Monroe’s in particular, and the best way to preserve a thing is to prevent damage, and the best way to prevent damage in a historical collection is not to wear it. He-she.”
It is important to protect these garments from environmental changes such as sunlight, humidity and temperature due to their fragile fibers, she said.
Scaturo said she hopes celebrities and fashion archivists alike will think more carefully about how they will use historical clothing under their auspices in the future.
“Historic clothing is fragile, and wearing it involves risks. The risks are very real, and damage can occur, and it is irreversible,” said Scatero. “You can repair damage, but it will always be damaged.”
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