Kim Kardashian Accused of Damaging Marilyn Monroe Dress Worn at Met Gala

variety.com:

Sasha Urban editorKim Kardashian is facing backlash after photos surfaced showing alleged damage to the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress the reality star sported at the Met Gala on May 2.Kardashian struck a deal with Ripley’s Believe It or Not to wear the gold “Happy Birthday” dress, which has been valued at nearly $5 million, to the star-studded fashion event.

The decision was met with pushback, initially because of Kardashian’s comments about losing weight for the event. Professional conservators at the time also spoke out, saying it was ill-advised to wear any clothing item with so much history, no matter the reason or the person. “I’m frustrated because it sets back what is considered professional treatment for historic costume,” one conservator told the L.A.

Times. Now, a Marilyn Monroe collector is criticizing Kardashian and Ripley’s, sharing pictures of the dress before and after the Met Gala that appear to show stress to the fabric and missing crystals.“Without question, the damage is significant,” the Scott Fortner Marilyn Monroe Collection wrote on its Instagram account Monday.The new photos and videos of the dress were taken by creative director Chad Michael Christian Morrisette, who has a long history of assisting in the archiving of the dress at Ripley’s Hollywood, where the dress is currently housed.

On Instagram Tuesday, Morrisette wrote, “This dress is a piece of my life and my heart. To see what @kimkardashian did in the damaging of it is heartbreaking,” adding the hashtags #nationaltreasure, #howdareyou, #ego, #greed and #thief.The Marilyn Monroe Collection accompanied its posts about the dress with a number of quotes about the decision to let Kardashian wear it, including from Amanda Joiner, vice president.