Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroe's dress to Met Gala 2022
Kim Kardashian arrived at the Met Gala wearing Marilyn Monroe's infamous 'Happy Birthday' dresses.
Kardashian arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 2 (US time) sporting a glittering nude dress, a platinum blonde hair, and white fur shrug. Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum loaned the reality star the iconic dress that the blonde bombshell wore to President John F. Kennedy's birthday in 1962.
On Facebook, Kardashian shared some photos of herself wearing the sheer dress by Hollywood costume designer Jean Louis, writing that she is "so honored to be wearing the iconic dress."
"Thank you Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for giving me the opportunity to debut this evocative piece of fashion history for the first time since the late Marilyn Monroe wore it. I am forever grateful for this moment," she said.
Speaking to Vogue, Kardashian said that this particular look by the Hollywood actress is "the most American thing you can think of".
“For me the most Marilyn Monroe moment is when she sang 'Happy Birthday,' to JFK, it was that look,” she said.
Kardashian even had to lose 16 lbs. three weeks before the event to fit into the gown.
“It was like preparing for a role,” she revealed Vogue guest host La La Anthony at the red carpet.
The dress was based on a sketch by legendary American fashion designer Bob Mackie for Jean Louis. It was inspired by cabaret stage costumes designed by Louis in the 50s and 60s.
Monroe's flesh-colored backless dress, which was considered scandalous at that time, features 6,000 hand-stitched rhinestones and sheer fabric.
“Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case,” Kardashian told Vogue. “In a sense, it’s the original naked dress. That’s why it was so shocking.”
Monroe's Jean Louis dress still holds the record for the 'most expensive dress' sold at auction.
Originally bought for $1,440 by the Hollywood actress, it was sold in 1999 at Christie’s as part of the landmark Marilyn Monroe Estate sale for $1.2 million.
In 2016, it broke its own record after selling at Julien's Auctions for $4.8 million. Now, the dress is acquired and displayed by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum. The museum has also acquired Bob Mackie's signed sketch of the dress.