The International Council of Museums has banned celebrities from wearing garments of historical value who attend the MET gala as a result of the controversy caused by Kim Kardashian when she chose one of Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic dresses to attend the last edition of the event.
On the other hand, it should be noted that Kim only wore it on the red carpet and immediately changed to replace it with a replica.
The design is part of the American popular culture because Marilyn Monroe was wearing it when she sang the mythical ‘Happy Birthday Mr. President’ to then-President of the United States John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.
Kim angered many by taking the dress out of the Ripley’s museum Believe It or Not! and seemingly jeopardizing a piece of fashion history.
Sarah Scarturro, former head of the Met’s Fashion Conservation department, has harshly criticized the current owners of the garment for have borrowed it
“When I was the head of the conservation laboratory at the Costume Institute, I had to reject requests for celebrities to use irreplaceable models from the collection“, declared Scarturro.
The International Council of Museums has now supported its position stating that these garments must be kept in conditions of maximum security, like any other work of art.
“Historical garments must not be used by anyone, neither by public nor private figures. Prevention is better than having to cure. Incorrect treatment will destroy an object forever”, the organization has affirmed.
Furthermore, ICOM has pointed out that the way the dress was used was incorrect because Monroe was not wearing underwear to give the impression of that she was naked, something that Kim Kardashian and her team completely ignored.
In addition, they have emphasized that the design it was custom made to fit perfectly to the body of the actress, and not that of the celebrity. The piece was made with blown silk, a material that is no longer easily found and is no longer being manufactured, so any damage would be irreparable and totally irreplaceable.
On the other hand, Kim Kardashian alleged that to wear the garment, which has more than 6 thousand crystals sewn by hand by the designer Jean Louis and was sold for $4.5 million dollars in , he had to lose seven kilos in a span of three weeks.
“It was to wear this or nothing”, Kim told the media about her choice.