Fern Mallis believes the backlash against Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn moment at the 2022 Met Gala could change the way clothing is lent to celebrities.
The creator of New York Fashion Week opened up to Vidak For Congress Style in June about the reality star’s polarizing gaze, telling us exclusively that she thought Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress “deserved to be in a museum” , not on the red carpet.
And in a new interview on the “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast released Tuesday, Mallis delved deeper into her thoughts.
“I don’t know if it was destroyed or if the sequins fell off or if it was torn at the back,” she began, referring to the rumors inflicted on the historic garment during the Met Gala outing.
“Ripley’s has it back…but I think it’s put the kibosh on celebrities who wear historical, relevant clothing that really needs to be preserved.”
Mallis also wondered why Kardashian, 41, felt the need to squeeze herself into the iconic design in the first place.
“I thought it was funny that she had that piece of fur and kept it on her fanny pack the whole time, which meant she was hiding something,” said the former CFDA director.
“We all know Kim has a big ass, and there’s no way she was the same size as Marilyn.”
While fans debated whether Kardashian damaged, stretched and caused crystals to fall off Monroe’s dress, Ripley’s! Believe it or not — who lent her the look and is now showing off at the Hollywood location — denied that the dress was damaged.
Kardashian has also spoken out about the effort she put in to keep the piece in pristine condition; she lost 16 pounds in just three weeks to fit in because the dress couldn’t be changed. She also skipped the body makeup on the big night and only wore the original for a few minutes, turning into a replica once she reached the top of the museum steps.
“I have a lot of respect for the dress and for what it means for American history,” Kardashian told Vogue before the gala. “I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or take any risk of any damage.”