Shocking price of original Marilyn Monroe dress worn by Kim Kardashian
In 2016, Marilyn Monroe's iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr President' dress sold at an auction for US$4.81 million, and it's just been re-worn for the first time in decades by Kim Kardashian.
The famous auction lasted three days and was exhibited aboard the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship as it made its journey from London to New York City that year, reported People at the time.
The iconic gown was finally sold to Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' museum in Orlando, for a whopping US$4.8 million or AU$6.7 million.
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Kim revealed she had to drop seven kilos to fit into the antique gown. Getty
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The dress was worn by Monroe on May 19, 1962, at a Madison Square Garden fundraiser, where she famously sang then-President John F Kennedy 'Happy Birthday'. The event occurred just three months before she died.
Now, Kim Kardashian has brought the 60-year-old dress back to life, debuting it on the Met Gala red carpet alongside her beau, Pete Davidson.
Kardashian, who sported newly bleached blonde hair for the occasion told E! reporters it was her dream to wear the dress. Watch the video above.
"I had this idea to put it on...they came with armed gloves and I tried it on and it didn't fit me," she reveals.
"I told them, 'Give me like three weeks'. I had to lose 16 pounds [seven kilograms] today to be able to fit this."
Marilyn Monroe wore the gown while singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F Kennedy at Madison Square Garden during a reception in New York City in 1962. AP/AAP
The dress was auctioned to Ripley's 'Believe it or Not!' museum in Orlando for AU$6.7 million in 2016. Getty
Kardashian admits it was a challenge to fit into the dress, but says she was "determined". According to her, she stuck to an incredibly restrictive diet to be able to slip into the sheer ensemble.
"Since I haven't eaten carbs or sugar in about three weeks, we're eating pizza and doughnut party back at the hotel," she said.
According to Teen Vogue, Kardashian wore a black robe on her way to the Met, before being helped into the original gown by gloved professionals for the red carpet.
Because the item is an antique, she then changed into a replica owned by Ripley's for the rest of the gala night. She was reportedly not allowed to eat or drink in the item so as not to tarnish it.
Knowing her plans for pizza and doughnuts, this was probably a smart decision by Ripley's.
Kardashian wore the authentic gown to pose on the red carpet, and then changed into a replica, also owned by Ripley's for the actual event. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
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How fans picked Kim's dress choice
While Kim's Met Gala look proved a surprise to most – online sleuths had picked it days before the event took place.
As Glamour reports, Kardashian had been dropping hints about her possible Met Gala looks for a while, and told Access Hollywood at the April premiere of Hulu's The Kardashians that the dress she planned to wear couldn't be altered in any way.
Then, Kardashian and Davidson were spotted at the Ripley's Orlando museum on April 23, spending a total of three hours there according to The Sun.
Fans knew the dress was housed there and noted how well the dress suited Kardashian's Instagram aesthetic at the moment – we all know how Kim loves a curated grid.
Many put two and two together, and this time, they completely hit the nail on the head.
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