At the Met Gala, Kim Kardashian did not destroy Marilyn Monroe’s legendary gown.
According to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, which owns Monroe’s gown and loaned it to Kardashian for the May event, this is true. Despite reports to the contrary, the museum and events company claimed in a statement Thursday that Kardashian “did not, in any way, harm the dress in the brief length of time it was worn at the Met Gala.”
Images apparently revealing some damage to the back of the crystal-covered dress were published on social media earlier this week, prompting the response.
Ripley’s VP of publishing and licensing, Amanda Joiner, accompanied the dress on its journey from Florida to New York, as well as while Kardashian was wearing it. “From the bottom of the Met steps, when Kim got into the garment, to the top, where it was returned,” she claimed, the gown’s condition remained the same.
The dress was somewhat damaged when Ripley’s bought it at auction in 2016, with “a number of the seams torn and worn” and “puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes,” according to Ripley’s.
When Monroe donned the gilded gown to sing “Happy Birthday” to US President John F. Kennedy in 1962, she made it famous. The garment, which was designed 60 years ago by Hollywood designer Jean Louis with the help of Bob Mackie, was lent to Kardashian for the Met Gala on the condition that no alterations be made. Kardashian posed for red carpet shots in the dress for a few minutes before changing into a copy for the rest of the event.
Kardashian’s decision to wear the artwork drew immediate condemnation from heritage industry groups like as the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
In a statement, the ICOM, an international regulatory body for heritage groups, stated, “Historic clothes should not be worn by anyone, public or private individuals.”
“As museum professionals, we strongly advise all museums to refrain from lending historic clothing for wear because they are artifacts of the time’s material culture and must be preserved for future generations.”
“While the gown is part of a private collection, the heritage must be recognized as belonging to humanity, regardless of which institution holds custody of the item,” the ICOM noted.
The gown is currently on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood until the fall.
