Kim Kardashian slips into Marilyn Monroe's most iconic gown for the 2022 Met Gala
It may have taken her years to win over the world of high fashion, but Kim Kardashian is now undoubtedly one of the biggest names to watch on the Met Gala red carpet – and her turn on those famous steps in 2022 has confirmed that.
After nailing the theme of 'Camp' with her wet-look latex gown in 2019 – which was personally designed by Manfred Thierry Mugler – and making headlines (while dividing opinions) with her Balenciaga disguise in 2021, Kardashian pulled out all the stops once again in 2022, having a truly sensational vintage moment on the Met Gala red carpet.
Turning to another famous bombshell for inspiration, Kardashian channelled Marilyn Monroe, wearing the actual gown that the Hollywood star wore for one of her most famous performances, which is also one of the most well-known pop-culture moments of all time.
Kardashian slipped into the Jean-Louis dress that Monroe wore to sing 'Happy Birthday Mr. President' to John F Kennedy in 1962. Creating a huge stir at the time, the dress was covered in crystals but almost completely sheer, and Monroe is said to have been sewn into the dress moments before stepping on stage.
"Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case," Kardashian told American Vogue. "In a sense, it’s the original naked dress. That’s why it was so shocking."
The shimmering gown was created by Jean-Louis, based on a sketch by Bob Mackie, and features 6,000 crystals. Monroe paired it with a white fur coat, which she took off during the performance, something which Kardashian also mimicked on the Met Gala red carpet. She also dyed her hair platinum blonde in another nod to the actress.
The iconic gown holds the record for being the most expensive dress ever sold at an auction, fetching $4.8 million at Julien’s Auctions in 2016, and later being acquired by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum, which is where Kardashian borrowed it from for the night.
Of course, the dress being such a significant part of fashion history meant that it could not be altered in any way, and Kardashian had instead to alter herself to fit the gown.
The star explained on the red carpet that she had to lose 16 pounds in just three weeks to fit into the dress. "It was like preparing for a role," she said, explaining that she avoided sugar and carbs for three weeks, but was planning a pizza and doughnut party straight after the event.
Once inside, Kardashian changed into a replica of the gown as to not risk spoiling the iconic piece of fashion history.
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