When it was rumored that Kim Kardashian was going to be wearing Marilyn Monroe’s iconic JFK “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress to the 2022 Met Gala, there were many who thought there was no way. Well, she wore it, and now one of the most iconic dresses worn by one of the most important actresses of the Old Hollywood era is damaged, possibly by Kardashian. As easy as it is to just dunk on Kim K—why was she allowed to wear this historic garment in the first place?
The dress was bought by Ripley’s Believe it or Not on November 17, 2016, at Julien’s Auctions Los Angeles for a staggering $4.8 million. ChadMichael Morrissette, a visual artist and curator who worked on the dress for the auction, told USA Today that he noticed “irreparable damage to the dress” when he saw it back on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Los Angeles following the Gala in May. It’s Ripley’s that gave Kardashian the go-ahead to wear the dress after what was reported to be “months of negotiations” and “non-negotiable details,” and while a lot of care was apparently taken in the preparations and treatment of the dress, this is a situation that never should have come about in the first place.
Marilyn Monroe wore the dress on May 19, 1962, during a Democratic fundraiser/45th birthday celebration for then-President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. Monroe sang a husky “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to JFK, which only further cemented her place in pop culture history. (Whether or not the two were having an affair was the subject of intense speculation for decades thereafter.)
To quote from the auction page: “Under a bright spotlight, the legendary Marilyn Monroe walked on stage and peeled away her white ermine fur coat, revealing a skintight, sheer, flesh-colored dress that sparkled with over 2,500 handstitched crystals. The custom Jean Louis creation was so tight fitting that Marilyn wore nothing underneath and had to be sewn into it last minute.”
This is not a Fashion Nova fit (no shade). This is a perfectly curated outfit built for Monroe and her body. Kim Kardashian’s body type is totally different and even her problematic starvation diet (that she revealed she underwent in the run-up to that evening) wasn’t going to make her fit in in a safe way. She’s an extremely rich celebrity—she could have made a recreation of the dress in a way that highlighted her own body. In fact, she did eventually wear a replica of the dress that Ripley’s had as well. She wore the recreation later, so what was this for, other than a publicity stunt? To make matters worse, it was not even on the night’s theme because the Gilded Era took place long before Norma Jean Maker became Marilyn Monroe.
Morrissette took photos of the dress and posted them on Instagram so we could all witness the damage.
Because with the Kardashians everything is recorded we not only saw Kim get the dress but also that she received an alleged piece of the late actress’s hair. This whole thing felt like a gross continuing commodification of a woman who would not have wanted her personal items (and hair) used this way, but it also spits in the face of the very point of the Met Gala—to raise money for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. A celebration of the importance of fashion and fashion’s role in our history.
As fashion historian Keren Ben-Horin told The Daily Beast back in May, “In my opinion, [Kim wearing the dress] was not a good idea. It raises a lot of questions about ethics. Sarah raises very important points that this is one of a kind, historical garment that should not leave the museum. For conservators, there are a lot of things they consider even before they even take any action to restore the dress. Sometimes they might even leave sweat stains in, because it’s part of the integrity of the dress.”
Amanda Joiner, Vice President of Licensing and Publishing at Ripley Entertainment, told The Daily Beast: “We felt that this was a way to bring something that’s 60 years old and very iconic to a new generation.” Marilyn Monroe hasn’t been out of fashion and iconic for over 60 years, she doesn’t need any help with that.
During a Vogue interview, Kim Kardashian said, “I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history. I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won’t be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do.” It is stated that she changed into a replica of the dress also owned by Ripley’s once she successfully climbed the stairs.
So it was all for clout. Good work Ripley’s. Regardless of any damage that may or may be fully attributed to Kim Kardashian, it was just not a good idea to begin with. Ripley’s and Kardashian have ended up with many headlines regarding the dress, but if they expected them to be positive, that has been far from the case. For once, I agree with Indiana Jones, “It belongs in a museum.”
(via USA Today, image: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
