Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world. Give her the wrong dress, and she may just piss off millions of fans.
Kim Kardashian ruffled feathers at the 2022 Met Gala when she hit the museum steps wearing Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress from 1962.
The “Kardashians” star, 41, notably dropped 16 pounds ahead of the event in order to squeeze into the historic gown, and even changed into a replica once she got to the entrance of the party, as she was unable to move freely in the original.
“I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history,” she told Vogue ahead of the party. “I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won’t be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do.”
However, it appears that just posing for photos on the red carpet with Pete Davidson, who later dyed his hair platinum blond to match his girlfriend’s Marilyn-inspired locks, may have caused damage to the “world’s most expensive dress.”
On Monday, Pop Culture posted side-by-side photos of the gown, allegedly from before and after Kardashian wore it to the Met. One of the snaps shows signs of stretched fabric and missing crystals, particularly around the dress’ back closure.
“Kim should’ve never worn that dress to begin with. I mean yes it’s nice to pay homage to Marilyn but she could’ve had a new dress made and replicated. This was a timeless and iconic artifact that’s been ruined,” one person tweeted in response. “Leave it to kim to destroy a historial piece of art,” another said.
A third wrote, “Congratulations to the Met Gala for showcasing a real-life example of why a conservation department like the Costume Institute is necessary for historically significant garments.”
While some Monroe experts were “disappointed” to see Kardashian in Monroe’s “extremely fragile” gown at the Met, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum, which loaned the look to the star and is currently displaying the garment at its Hollywood location, previously told the Post that precautions were taken to prevent any possible damage.
“This was no easy decision for Ripley’s, however, Kim Kardashian has continued to show the utmost respect for this opportunity and historic garment,” Ripley’s said in a post-gala statement. “From extensive research to following guidelines such as no body makeup, only wearing the dress for the short red-carpet appearance, and making absolutely no alterations, she has become a steward, and added to, its history.”
At the time, the museum also noted that “no damage” had occurred to the garment.
