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Kim Kardashian made a grand entrance to the Met Gala on Monday in classic movie star-style, wearing an iconic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe, as she arrived with boyfriend Pete Davidson in tow.
But squeezing her famous curves into the historic frock was no easy feat, as the 41-year-old reality star revealed that she forced herself to lose 16lbs in just three weeks in order to make it fit.
It had already been rumored that Kim would be wearing famous outfit, which Marilyn wore when she famously sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
Meanwhile, SNL funnyman Pete, 28, looked dapper in a classic black suit, skinny tie, shades, and finally ditched the Vans sneakers for a pair of smart shoes.
Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn Monroe moment! Reality star transforms into a blonde bombshell in iconic ‘Happy Birthday, Mr President’ dress from 1962… as she arrives with beau Pete Davidson at the Met Gala
Marilyn’s glittering beaded gown was designed by Jean Louis, and has been on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum in Orlando, FL, after they bought it from Julien’s Auction for $4.81million.
‘This is Marilyn Monroe’s dress. It’s sixty years old,’ Kim told LaLa Anthony on the red carpet. ‘I had this idea to put it on and try it on. They came with armed guards and gloves. I tried it on and it didn’t fit me. I had to lose 16lbs.’
‘I was determined to fit it. I did it. I dyed my hair blonde. I haven’t eaten carbs and sugar in three weeks.’
Marilyn is said to have paid $1,440 for the custom piece to the designer, and it holds the record for the for the most expensive dress sold at an auction, making it one of the most expensive dresses in the world.
All the rumors are true! It had already been leaked that the 41-year-old Hulu reality star would be wearing classic outfit, which Marilyn wore when she famously sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962
Legend has it that the garment was so tight, Marilyn has to be sewn into the dress prior to her performance for the President.
Kim had the same struggle when she discovered the dress didn’t fit her, and she began to cry when she learned that the dress could not be altered.
So Kim told Vogue how she went on a ruthlessly strict diet deadline in order to slim down and wear the dress to the Met.
Iconic: Marilyn is said to have paid $1,440 for the custom piece to the designer, and it holds the record for the for the most expensive dress sold at an auction, making it one of the most expensive dresses in the world
Diet deadline: Kim revealed that she lost 16lbs in just THREE WEEKS to fit into the iconic ‘Happy birthday Mr President’ dress from 1962
‘I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein,’ she told the outlet. ‘I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict.’
Marilyn’s unique hourglass figure an exact measurements have been debated for decades, but one dress maker claimed she 5’5″ tall, with a 35″ bust, 22″ waist, and 35″ hips. Her bra size was said to be 36D.
Kim once said of her own measurements: ‘I am a size 27 jeans… My measurements are 38, 26, 39. But remember I am 5’2″ and 1/2 and everyone carries their weight in different places.’
Disciplined: Kim admitted that she went without sugar and carbs for three weeks in order to fit into the dress
Backless: A rear view showed off the other side to the historical ensemble as she posed with Pete
Blonde bombshell: Kim and Pete arrived in classic style at the 2022 Met Gala on Monday evening
Attentive: SNL star Pete acted like the perfect gentleman as he stood beside his girlfriend
In a wide-ranging interview, Kim noted that the idea to wear the dress came to her in September last year.
‘I thought to myself, what would I have done for the American theme if it had not been the Balenciaga look?
‘What’s the most American thing you can think of? And that’s Marilyn Monroe,’ she added.
Not quite their debut: The loved up couple got their red carpet practice in over the weekend after attending the White House Correspondents Dinner together in Washington, D.C.
The real deal: Kim and Pete are continuing to prove that this is more than just a passing fling, and the Met Gala now marks their second red carpet event
New look: Kim also showed off her platinum blonde hair at the event, which took 14 hours according to the star
Keeping the surprise under wraps, despite the fact it was already rumoured to be her choice of outfit, sister Kourtney Kardashian let slip earlier that Kim got ready in a ‘secret dressing room’ ahead of the event.
She also revealed that it took her 14 hours to bleach her hair for the occasion.
Talking about the translucent look of the dress, that is embellished with over six thousand crystals, Kim said: ‘Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case.’
Classic Hollywood: Pete and Kim looked like old movie stars as they attended the ‘gilded glamour’ dress coded event
She added: ‘In a sense, it’s the original naked dress. That’s why it was so shocking.’
‘Marilyn looked amazing and accomplished exactly what she intended to. Fox Studios would not let her wear anything too revealing in films, because of the previous nude calendar scandal.’
‘And she didn’t really care, because she had already been fired. Her figure was at its peak, the dress was a classic shape of fashion at the time.’
Her Marilyn moment! Kim attempted her best Monroe pout as she blew kisses at the cameras
No time waist! Kim said she had just three weeks in order slim down and squeeze her famous curves into the dress
PDA alert: Pete also gave Kim a sweet kiss once they were further inside the event
Glam: The Hulu reality star put a lot of effort into her Met Gala look, dropping 16lbs in three weeks
Not quite Kravis: While the couple kissed on the red carpet, they did not go any further than a sweet peck
Kim’s appearance was certainly a refreshing change from last year’s event, where she wore a one-of-a-kind blackout Balenciaga gown that completely obscured her face.
That look divided opinion at the time, with some slamming it as ‘distasteful’ and comparing the outfit to a burka.
It’s not the first time Kim has gone blonde, after revealing in 2018 that she bleached her hair as a wedding anniversary ‘gift’ to her ex-husband Kanye West back in 2018.
A family affair: Pete and Kim posed up with Kardashian family matriarch and her boyfriend Corey Gamble
Fun night: The group spent time posing with each other before the event officially started
‘Kanye’s favorite is blonde, so I did it for our anniversary,’ she said at the time.
She also previously bleached it three times in three weeks in 2015 for an appearance at Paris Fashion Week, and was spotted some time later with her battered locks looking frazzled as a result.
It has been a busy weekend for the mother-of-four, who took boyfriend Pete as her guest to the White House Correspondents Dinner over the weekend, making it their red carpet debut as a couple.
Interesting looks: Kim’s siblings Kylie Jenner (left) and Kendall Jenner (right) made quirky appearances on the night
And the bride wore… a baseball cap: Kylie’s outfit certainly shocked fans upon arrival
Dramatic: Kendall certainly made an entrance in her long flowing black gown
Kravis come through: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker couldn’t resist a snogging session at the prestigious event
Golden girl: Khloe Kardashian also sizzled in a dazzling evening dress while posing at the event
They looked stylish together as they arrived at that event on Saturday night in Washington, D.C.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, is considered by many as the ‘Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets.’
Fashion’s biggest night is traditionally held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute in New York City, with last year’s event moved to September due to the pandemic.
This year’s dress code is ‘gilded glamour’ to match the theme of ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion,’ a continuation of last year’s ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.’
Tickets for the glitzy event can reportedly cost up to $35,000 apiece, while prices for a table range from $200,000 to $300,000, with last year’s bash raking in a whopping $16.4 million for the Met’s Costume Institute.
Regina King, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are hosting this time, taking over from Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka.
This will be Miranda’s first time as a Met Gala co-chair (and guest) but he was originally intended to co-host the 2020 edition before the pandemic forced its cancellation.
KIM KARDASHIAN’S MET GALA LOOKS OVER THE YEARS
Kim Kardashian has made some fairly dramatic statements at the annual Met Gala in New York City over the years.
During her first year at the splashy, star-studded event she had on a tight floral dress that made the most of her very pregnant belly. Later she would be seen in a gold column dress, a silver suit that made her look like a robot, a see-through lace wonder and a dress that came in so tight she had to wear a waist trainer for weeks beforehand.
Last year the star, 41, covered her face with black cloth in a shocking move as she shared she had a full face of makeup on underneath for some reason.
Here is a look back at the eight looks The Kardashians star has tried out during the most important night in fashion.
2013 – GIVENCHY
Her first time at the Met Gala was for PUNK: Chaos to Couture in 2013. She was pregnant with North and wore a floral print dress from Givenchy.
The California native said that she was not invited but rather was West’s plus one. Sadly, after the gala she ‘cried’ because she was so insecure about everything, she had said.
‘2103 Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. I was Kanye’s plus one & so nervous! I didn’t know anyone & I’m sure no one wanted me there lol. I did my own lipstick & the color is so off. I went home & cried after of insecurity but this is one of my fave looks now,’ said the TV vet.
2013 – GIVENCHY
2014 – LANVIN
In 2014, Kim had on a blue strapless Lanvin outfit as Kanye had on black. The theme was Charles James: Beyond Fashion.
She said it was the first time she had been invited on her own.
‘My dress was originally made of this amazing leather with metallic detailing,’ Kim said earlier. ‘But we decided at the last minute to redo it in blue satin.’
2014 – LANVIN
2015 – ROBERTO CAVALLI
She wore a very sheer and sexy lace and net gown by Roberto Cavalli for the May 2015 event. Her hair was slicked back and she modeled huge earrings.
And the star posed with husband Kanye West who went with a black suit and boots.
The theme was celebrating China: Through the Looking Glass.
2015 – ROBERTO CAVALLI
2016 – BALMAIN
Kardashian tried out silver at the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology in 2016.
She wore Balmain, a shimmery silver dress that looked like a futuristic gown with a slit up the side. Husband Kanye West was in the same designer.
She said: ‘2016 Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. I was back to insecure this year because I hadn’t lost all of my baby weight. Big mistake to bleach the brows but Kanye looked so good this year with those blue eyes! It was super controversial that he wore denim.’
Earlier she had noted: ‘I thought Balmain was the perfect choice for me and Kanye, especially. I think Kanye’s look is a little bit more downplayed with the denim mixed with all the Balmain bling.’
2016 – BALMAIN
2017 – VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
This one in 2017 was celebrating the opening of Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between.
The Selfish author had on a white Vivienne Westwood off-the-shoulder dress with no jewelry and strappy heels.
In the bus ride to the event she had to stand up so the dress would not wrinkle and she said she was already sweating and had to use the bathroom because she was so nervous.
The daughter of Kris Jenner said, ‘2017 Vivienne Westwood. This was my first year going solo. I was so nervous to go by myself I almost threw up on the way & I had to pee every second.. I was FaceTiming my sisters to meet up at the top of the stairs. Vivienne made me this beautiful dress from her archive.’
2017 – VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
2018 – VERSACE
Kim Kardashian attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in 2018.
She said this gold mesh Versace dress fit her like a ‘glove.’
Kardashian added, ‘I knew exactly what I wanted and was most confident this year. 90’s, chainmail, sexy and simple.’
2018 – VERSACE
2019 – THIERRY MUGLER
Kardashian was in a wet look for Camp: Notes on Fashion in 2019.
She had to wear a waist trainer to get her midsection as small as possible to pull off this Thierry Mugler dress.
The look was supposed to be ‘wet’ which is why she had crystals that looked like raindrops coming off of her. Her hair also looked wet as she had oiled skin.
2019 – THIERRY MUGLER
2021 – BALENCIAGA
Kim shocked fans when she wore a head to toe black look that covered her famous face.
Later the red carpet fixture said that she was fully made up under that face sock which seemed like a lot of effort for no payoff.
Turns out, it was not her favorite move.
‘I fought against it. I was like, I don’t know how I could wear the mask. Why would I want to cover my face?’ she told Vogue this year.
‘But Demna [Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative director] and the team were like, “This is a costume gala. This is not a Vanity Fair party where everyone looks beautiful. There’s a theme and you have to wear the mask. That is the look.”‘
2021 – BALENCIAGA
2021 – Sister Kendall Jenner, left, stole the show in GIVENCHY
Source: DailyMail
