ORLANDO, Fla. — Believe it or not, the dress that Kim Kardashian donned at the Met Gala on Monday was originally worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
What You Need To Know
- Kim Kardashian wore iconic Marilyn Monroe dress to Met Gala
- Kardashian borrowed the dress from Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Orlando
- The dress was first worn by Monroe in 1962 when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy
Kardashian borrowed the dress from the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in Orlando, which bought the dress in 2016 for $4.8 million. It would become the world’s most expensive dress sold at auction.
The skin-tight, rhinestone-covered dress was designed by Jean Louis using a sketch from Bob Mackie. Monroe debuted it during President Kennedy’s 45th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden.
Monroe reportedly had to be stitched into the dress.
To achieve her Met Gala look, Kardashian reached out to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! earlier in the year with the request. For the team at Ripley’s, the gown’s condition was a top priority. Since the iconic dress couldn’t be altered, Kardashian told Vogue she lost 16 pounds to fit into it.
Kardashian also only wore the dress for the Grand Staircase walk at the Met Gala before changing into a replica for the rest of the evening.
The theme for this year’s Met Gala was “gilded glamor.”
As for Monroe’s iconic dress, it will be on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood for a limited time starting Memorial Day weekend.
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