Bob Mackie has doubled-down on his criticism of Kim Kardashian modeling Marilyn Monroe’s well-known nude robe on the Met Gala, insisting that ‘no person must be sporting that gown.’
The famed designer, 83, had sketched the unique design early on in his profession whereas working as an assistant to trend legend Jean Louis, who created the robe for Monroe to put on to sing ‘Glad Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
Mackie was among the many critics who condemned the controversial choice to permit Kardashian to put on the 60-year-old robe on the crimson carpet in Could.
‘After I heard that she was going to put on it, I assumed, “Oh, no person must be sporting that gown,”‘ he advised City & Nation. ‘It must be in a museum.’
Designer Bob Mackie, 83, has doubled down on his criticism of Kim Kardashian sporting Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Glad Birthday, Mr. President’ robe to the Met Gala in Could
Monroe (pictured with Steve Smith) wore the crystal-embellished nude gown to serenade President John F. Kennedy at his forty fifth birthday celebration in New York on Could 19, 1962
Kardashian, 41, was loaned the robe by officers at Ripley’s Consider It or Not!, the place it has been saved in a temperature-controlled atmosphere because it was purchased for a record-breaking $4.8 million in 2016.
On the time, Mackie stated the museum had made a ‘huge mistake’ by permitting the fact star to put on the customized design.
‘[Marilyn] was a goddess. A loopy goddess, however a goddess. She was simply fabulous,’ he advised Leisure Weekly. ‘No one images like that. And it was executed for her. It was designed for her. No one else must be seen in that gown.’
Mackie was simply 23 when he sketched the crystal-embellished robe — one in every of his first assignments beneath Louis’s tutelage.
!['When I heard that [Kardashian] was going to wear it, I thought, "Oh, nobody should be wearing that dress,"' Mackie told Town & Country. 'It should be in a museum'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/19/21/60462161-11029331-image-m-32_1658263380042.jpg)
‘After I heard that [Kardashian] was going to put on it, I assumed, “Oh, no person must be sporting that gown,”‘ Mackie advised City & Nation. ‘It must be in a museum’
Mackie had sketched the unique design for Monroe’s crystal-embellished robe whereas working as an assistant to trend legend Jean Louis
The designer recalled how Monroe had known as Louis herself to request the robe, saying, ‘I need you to do a kind of see-through clothes such as you at all times do’
‘I bear in mind it clearly,’ he advised City & Nation. ‘Marilyn known as Jean Louis herself and stated, “I need you to do a kind of see-through clothes such as you at all times do.” He was very well-known for doing [actress and cabaret singer] Marlene Dietrich’s clothes that you might see by on stage. They had been fairly attractive, but all the things was lined.’
Mackie stated he had no concept that Monroe could be sporting the robe to sing ‘Glad Birthday’ to President Kennedy at New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard on Could 19, 1962 — 10 days earlier than he turned 45.
‘Jean Louis would not inform me what it was for,’ he recalled of the top-secret challenge. ‘It was like every week or so later, that rapidly photos had been within the newspaper of Marilyn singing “Glad Birthday,” and it was on the information and all the things.’
The designer, who’s now a legend in his personal proper, did not think about on the time that the gown would turn out to be as well-known because it did.
Mackie stated he had no concept Monroe could be sporting the robe to serenade President John F. Kennedy. He went on to design appears for the likes of Lucille Ball and Cher (pictured in 1985)
Kardashian was loaned the 60-year-old gown by officers at Ripley’s Consider It or Not! She added a white fur scarf to the look to cover that it was open within the again
The fact star (pictured throughout her becoming) misplaced 16 kilos in three weeks to suit into the gown, however she was nonetheless unable to zip it
‘I did not even give it some thought actually!’ he stated.
Kardashian was the primary individual to don the robe because it was worn by Monroe in 1962. She admitted she misplaced 16 kilos in three weeks to suit into the gown, however she was nonetheless unable to zip it.
The fact star added a white fur scarf to the look to cover that it was open within the again. She solely wore the unique gown for her crimson carpet look and turned into a reproduction earlier than making her approach into the Met Gala.
Talking to Vogue about her iconic look, she insisted that she would by no means threat ‘any harm’ to the robe, and subsequently took steps to make sure that she had a backup possibility earlier than heading into the occasion itself.
Kardashian was accused of damaging the robe after The Marilyn Monroe Assortment posted earlier than and after images of the again, alleging it was lacking sequins and stretched on the seams
Followers of Monroe claimed the harm was sustained because of the gown being despatched to New York and worn by Kardashian on the carpet. The robe is pictured after the Met Gala
Kardashian was additionally accused of ripping the garment. The strap is pictured earlier than (left) and after (proper) she wore it
‘I’m extraordinarily respectful to the gown and what it means to American historical past,’ she stated. ‘I’d by no means wish to sit in it or eat in it or have any threat of any harm to it, and I gained’t be sporting the type of physique make-up I often do.’
Trend historians and collectors have since accused Kardashian of damaging Monroe’s robe on the Met Gala.
ChadMichael Morrisette, a visible artist and longtime Monroe fan, was visiting Ripley’s Consider It or Not! in Los Angeles when he photographed what he considered new harm to the robe following the Met Gala.
The pictures had been posted on Instagram by The Marilyn Monroe Assortment, which is run by historian and collector Scott Fortner.
Earlier than and after images of the gown appeared to point out a tear on the strap, in addition to stretching on the seam and lacking sequins from the again.
Kardashian and Ripley’s Consider It or Not! have denied that she broken the robe
In a press release launched final month, the museum famous that there was harm to the robe earlier than Kardashian wore it to the Met Gala
Ripley’s admitted it was a ‘calculated threat’ to permit Kardashian to put on the robe however added that her controversial crimson carpet second has ‘highlighted’ the ‘historic significance of the gown’
Nonetheless, Kardashian and Ripley’s Consider It or Not! have denied that there was any harm executed to the gown.
In a press release launched final month, the museum insisted that it ‘can say with confidence’ that Kardashian ‘didn’t trigger harm’ to the robe when she wore it to the Met Gala.
Ripley’s famous that it had acquired the gown at a Julien’s Auctions occasion in 2016, and it was broken lengthy earlier than Kardashian had worn it.
‘A report written on the gown’s situation in early 2017 states, “a variety of the seams are pulled and worn. This isn’t stunning given how delicate the fabric is. There may be puckering on the again by the hooks and eyes,” amongst different situations of injury,’ the museum stated.
Nonetheless, Ripley’s didn’t point out something in regards to the tear within the strap.
When pressed additional by DailyMail.com, a Ripley’s spokesperson admitted there have been fears over the ‘fragility’ of the strap when loaning the robe to Kardashian however didn’t specify whether or not the rip occurred earlier than or after she wore it.
