Multiple sources have claimed that allegedly the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress has been ripped and completely destroyed after Kim Kardashian wore it at the Met Gala last month, raising questions about conservation and the interest of Ripley’s in the matter.
The Met Gala 2022 is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Celebrities collaborate with designers to show off their hottest looks of the season, and this time in usual fashion of the Kardashians, Kim was determined to not just show off but to become the talk of town - and more specifically the talk of the internet, press, media, TV news and… well, you get the idea. So what better way to accomplish that than to parade with your influence over all layers in society, I mean she freed people from prison, brought change to the juridical system in the US, so now she had laid eyes on the dress worn by Marilyn Monroe for the Happy Birthday Mr. President moment we are all familiar with.
When she initially went in to try on the dress however, she was unable to fit into it, and Ripley’s were clear that no alterations were to be made to the dress with their statement: “great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history. With input from garment conservationists, appraisers, and archivists, the garment’s condition was top priority … no alterations were to be made to the dress and Kim even changed into a replica after the red carpet!”
However, Kim’s determination meant that she would go on an extreme weight-loss regime to try and squeeze into the dress. It involved a vegetable-centric diet, lots of time on the treadmill and wearing a sauna suit twice a day. “It was such a challenge,” she said. “It was like a role, I was determined to fit it.”
A month later however, images have appeared in a blog post suggesting damage to the dress, with tearing on the back where the zipper is, hanging off or missing altogether rhinestones and just all sorts of irreparable damage. Now don’t get me wrong this is not the pinnacle of fashion, at the end of the day it is literally a simple nude dress covered up in rhinestones but it marks an important historical moment, especially considering Monroe’s tragic death after becoming a global phenomenon.
For comparison a photo of the dress from 2016 shows that no damage at the time was present on the dress, when it was auctioned and bought by Ripley’s.
