NEW YORK – The historic Marilyn Monroe dress that Kim Kardashian wore last May at the Met Gala has suffered “significant” and “permanent” damage, according to an expert and collector of the actress’s objects.
Scott Forner, who claims to have the largest private collection of Monroe’s files and personal items, has shared photos on his website and on social media comparing the state of the dress “before and after” that Kardashian put it on to attend the exclusive event. which is held every year in New York.
His verdict is that the piece has “permanent” damage, with several tears on the back, missing glass and others hanging by a thread.
“Was it worth it?” Forner asks in his article the owner of the iconic dress, property of the American franchise Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, which currently has it on display at one of its headquarters in Los Angeles.
The company lent the dress to Kardashian to wear upon her arrival at the Met Gala, where she was one of the celebrities who attracted the most attention for her outfit.
And it is that the dress is practically the history of the United States and of pop culture, since it was the one that Monroe wore when she sang “happy birthday” to then US President John F. Kennedy in 1962, just a few months before the death of the actress.
In order to put on the outfit, Kardashian had to undergo a diet with which she says she lost more than 7 kilos in three weeks.
The 41-year-old celebrity barely had the dress on for a few minutes upon arrival at the gala, then changed it to a replica to protect the original.
However, according to Forner, this did not prevent the piece from suffering “significant” damage despite the repeated guarantees given by the owners.
The International Council of Museums had already stressed that this type of “historical clothing should not be worn by anyone”, because even if they are private property, they should be seen as a heritage to be preserved “for future generations”.
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