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Bob Mackie had some choice words regarding Kim Kardashian’s choice to wear Marilyn Monroe’s custom 1962 Jean Louis gown.
Kardashian wore the historic dress for a brief time at the 2022 Met Gala and changed into a replica after posing on the red carpet.
“I thought it was a big mistake,” Mackie, who drew the original sketch of the dress, told Entertainment Weekly.
“[Marilyn] was a goddess,” he explained. “A crazy goddess, but a goddess. She was just fabulous. Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her. Nobody else should be seen in that dress.”
Kim Kardashian and Marilyn Monroe
(Getty Images)
KIM KARDASHIAN GIFTED LOCK OF MARILYN MONROE’S HAIR BY RIPLEY’S BEFORE 2022 MET GALA
Other historians have had similar criticisms.
Dr. Justine De Young, a professor of fashion history at the Fashion Institute of Technology, called the move “irresponsible and unnecessary” in an interview with People magazine.
“She can – and did – commission a replica, which would be indistinguishable from the original,” Young said. “Such an iconic piece of American history should not be put at risk of damage just for an ego-boost and photo-op.”
Scott Fortner, who has one of the world’s largest private collections of Monroe’s personal property, also criticized Kardashian’s decision to wear the gown.
Bob Mackie, leading costume designer, poses with his serigraph of actress Marilyn Monroe at the Far Gallery.
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“The dress was custom-made for Marilyn Monroe,” he explained. “It’s not an off-the-rack garment… When Marilyn knew she’d be performing at President John F. Kennedy’s birthday gala she contacted Louis and said, ‘I want you to design a truly historical dress, a dazzling dress that’s one of a kind.’ She asked that it be a dress that, ‘only Marilyn Monroe could wear.’”
The curve-hugging nude dress was designed by Academy Award-winning designer Jean Louis, who designed costumes for Monroe’s final two films, 1961’s “The Misfits” and the unfinished “Something’s Got to Give.” Monroe passed away in 1962 at age 36 from a barbiturate overdose.
The garment, which contains more than 2,500 handstitched crystals, was based on a sketch by Bob Mackie.
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Kim Kardashian is seen at the Met Gala on May 2, 2022, in New York City.
(NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)
Kardashian was the last celebrity to walk the Met Gala red carpet, joined by her boyfriend Pete Davidson. The entrepreneur swapped her signature long black hair for a tight platinum blonde bun, emulating Monroe. Kardashian told Vogue that she had to lose 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into the dress.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
