One of Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic numbers is from her 1953 film, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Wearing hot pink satin and covered in diamonds, the actress sang, “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend,” as shown in my recently created caricature above. It had to be done. At the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, they currently have an exhibit titled “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon.”
The entrance to the exhibit, designed for selfies of course:
One of the most gawked at pieces on display is the pink satin gown, which is an original with the jewelry re-created by Kathleen Lynagh Designs. The gloves and shoes are also reproductions.
William Travilla made the dress using a silk satin called peau d’ange (angel’s skin), chosen for its comfort and flexibility. In person, the fabric was described as pastel, but Travilla knew that Technicolor would boost the vibrancy. He added felt, boning, ostrich feathers, and horsehair to various areas of the dress to help keep its form during the rigorous dance number.
It amazes me how well preserved this costume is. The bow on the back:
This photo shows Marilyn wearing Travilla’s original design for the number:
…a bejeweled black two-piece over a mesh bodysuit. As the film was being finished, scandal broke out when Monroe’s 1949 nude photos resurfaced. The studio asked Travilla to remake the costume, resulting in this pink dress which was designed and completed just before filming.
Only the shorts and fan are known to remain of this original version which took months to create and cost about $4,000 at the time to produce (roughly $48k today!).
This unused pink bodice, which mirrors the chorus girls’ costumes, was archived and labeled with Monroe’s pink dress. It’s believed to have been made as Travilla explored options for the new design, though Monroe has never been pictured in it or described as wearing it.
A screenshot showing the chorus girls/dancers in the background:
This silverplate ring of elaborate links with a braided design, inlaid with shining clear gemstones, can be seen in the black and white photo showing Marilyn wearing the original outfit. Created by Joseff of Hollywood, it came up for auction recently:
Final photo for today is another screenshot of Marilyn performing the number that has been often imitated (but never improved upon!):
See more Marilyn Monroe photos at my main website.
