Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson walked as a couple at the Met Gala 2022. Image Source: Vanity Fair
Bob Mackie takes the floor!
Bob Mackie, the legendary costume designer who sketched the crystal-covered gauze column gown for the late Marilyn Monroe, which she wore to former President John F. Kennedy's birthday dinner, recently witnessed SKIMS founder Kim Kardashian wearing it on the red carpet of the Met Gala 2022 and said it was a mistake.
Bob Mackie was working as an assistant to Jean Louis at the time and recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly where he praised Marilyn Monore as a goddess, albeit a crazy goddess, and further described her as fabulous. Bob added that nobody photographed the way Marilyn Monroe did, and the gown was designed for her, and nobody should be seen in that dress.
Under the direction and guidance of designer Jean Louis, Bob Mackie shared that he was just 23-years-old when he sketched the original gown, and he did not know that he was sketching for Marilyn Monroe until she wore it. He added that the gown that was preserved in a Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Orlando, Florida should have been there and not given to people as it could damage its preservation and structural integrity.
Bob Mackie sketched the original gown that was later designed and made for Marilyn Monore by Jean Louis. Image Source: Campus Times
During the interview, the designer said that there are several concerns with the real preservation of the dress, including how things like oxygen might impact it because such outfits are maintained in a very controlled atmosphere, and the audience knows about the environment at the Met which could harm the dress. Bob Mackie added that the Costume Institute is very careful about how they are handling these historic items and added that he was alarmed when Kim Kardashian showed up on the red carpet in the real thing and suggested that maybe she should have worn a replica.
But according to sources close to Kim Kardashian, she was careful with Marilyn Monroe’s dress and she only wore it till the time she was on the red carpet. As soon as she was inside the hall, she changed into a replica of the same dress but added that she was very respectful and careful with her dress because she understood the importance of it.
Alicia Malone, who interviewed Bob Mackie, said that there are remarkable similarities between the two of them and that they are both highly publicity smart, before adding that while this was a publicity stunt for Kim Kardashian, Marilyn Monroe loves to create sensations, as she did with the bear outfit.
Alicia also pointed out that Marilyn Monroe was one of the women who had changed the beauty standards for the people at the moment as she entered the industry with her curves, and similarly, a lot of women aspire to have a body like Kim Kardashian's, and whether people like it or not, Kim has managed to change the ideal body shape for women. The interviewer mentioned that no matter what, Marilyn Monroe has remained a subject of fascination for people for years, and she is misread and misunderstood, commodified in her death as she was in life.
Alicia stated that Marilyn Monore always aspired to be known more than as a person with a beautiful face and body and wanted to be taken seriously as an actress and as a human being, which people failed to do so. Thus, she struggled with mental health challenges and it led to her eventual and unfortunate death. She said that Marilyn Monroe is just such a mess of contradictions and is not an easy person to place in a box and that is why she had that appeal, but when it comes to Kim Kardashian, Alicia says that she does not know how much the reality TV star knows about her history or how she relates to her, but now her name will be tied to the dress for sure.
Alicia Malone pointed out that it’s always going to be the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore on the former President’s birthday but also the one that Kim Kardashian wore at the Met Gala 2022.
This is not the first time Kim Kardashian has drawn negative feedback over her Met Gala 2022 look, as after she went on record to say that she did not consume carbs for a month to lose 16lbs to fit into a dress, people slammed her for saying such a thing on TV, especially when she knows that there are people who would be listening to her. Kim Kardashian’s trainer defended her and said that she did not starve herself to fit into a dress, but she followed a proper diet and worked out to lose weight and there was nothing wrong with it.
Dr. Justine De Young, a fashion history professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, also told people that Kim Kardashian's outfit at the Met Gala 2022 was irresponsible and unneeded. Justine went on to say that Kim could have commissioned a copy that was indistinguishable from the original, and that such an iconic piece of American history should not be jeopardized for an ego boost or a picture opportunity.
