Kim Kardashian and controversies are the two sides of the same coin and there’s no denying that. Last year, the fashion mogul made it to the steps of the MET Gala without a face and this year, she managed to leave us all jaw-dropped with her Marilyn Monroe dress worn by the OG diva to sing ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ to John F Kennedy in 1962.
Curated by Jean Louis and originally sketched by Bob Mackie, this haute couture gown was sold at an auction in 1999 for $1.26 million USD, then again in 2016 for a whopping $ 4.6 million USD. Ever since, this iconic creation has been on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum in Orlando, making it one of the most expensive dresses ever sold.
Although, however glamourous it may seem or sound, wearing this iconic creation was no easy feat! As this was a custom-made piece only for Marilyn with her exact measurements, the dress couldn’t fit the reality TV star. Given the delicate nature of the situation, the OG naked dress, featuring 2500 crystal beads couldn’t be altered at all and so Kim resorted to a crash diet, attracting more flak for her sartorial choices for the costume party! The beauty moghul admitted to losing 16lbs in over 3 weeks to fit into the dress however it was not a ‘perfect fit’ given her body curves are different from that of the late fashion icon.
In a video shared by Ripley's Believe It or Not, Kim was seen struggling to zip up the dress however it just won’t fit. Ultimately, the dress was tied at the back, unzipped and covered with a faux fur coat. Kim only for a few minutes before she changed into an exact replica, also owned by the Ripley’s.
This stint of hers drew a lot of mixed responses from all over. While some hailed the star for the iconic look, others expressed concerns over her healthy lifestyle choices just to make an appearance for a few minutes. Dr. Justine De Young, professor of fashion history at the Fashion Institute of Technology, deemed Kim’s look "irresponsible and unnecessary” as reported by PEOPLE. She can, and did, commission a replica that would be indistinguishable from the original. Such an iconic piece of American history should not be put at risk of damage just for an ego-boost and photo-op, he said.
Another historian and collector Scott Fortner added why Kim’s look was a ‘cause of concern’ “The dress was custom-made for Marilyn Monroe. It's not an off-the-rack garment. It was created by Academy Award-winning designer Jean Luis, who had designed costumes for Marilyn's final two films: The Misfits and Something's Got to Give," he said as reported by PEOPLE. “The gown worn by anyone else will not be a precise fit. In this case, Kim Kardashian's measurements are somewhat different than Marilyn's. It's logically assumed the fabric and seams were stressed," he continued.
Kim only for a few minutes before she changed into an exact replica, also owned by the Ripley’s. While there are certainly pros and cons to this incident, let’s not deny that it indeed was a BIG FASHION MOMENT!
What are your thoughts on this?
(Source- People, Instagram)
