Each of us is brought to our current circumstance by an anomalous
string of affairs. A circuitous progression of events brought me to my passion
for Interior Design; that being my love affair with Gene London and Marilyn Monroe. Two very extraordinary and fascinating personas who I
believe influenced my path into a world of design.
My early, wonderful years began in NYC working in fashion
design for the multi-faceted collector and costumier Gene London. He became one of my very, very dearest friends
and the godfather of my daughter Charlotte. Gene London, the actor, artist,
designer, my mentor and my muse, has one of the largest collections of costumes
and gowns worn by movie stars during the infamous ‘golden years of Hollywood’. Imagine such fun working surrounded by Hollywood
history.
Gene London has collected costumes worn by movie
celebrities (some 60,000 gowns, dresses and fashion accessories) for several
decades and is often called upon for media commentary based on his knowledge
and passion.
The least of which is his passion for gowns and memorabilia
worn and used by Marilyn Monroe. This is
where my fascination with the infamous actress began.
From hair color to nail polish and everything in between, more products have
been named after Marilyn Monroe than any other actor in the 20th century.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of her
death on August 5, 1962. On June 20 2012, Gene London joined Museo Salvatore
Ferragamo in curating a homage to Marilyn Monroe - featuring 30 pairs of shoes
and over 50 outfits from the actress’ wardrobe, worn on the sets of her most
important movies, in her personal life and in public appearances; that have
become cult objects sought after by collectors around the world. The exhibition
will be on display in Florence, Italy through January 28, 2013.
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| Monroe’s Ferragamo shoes were sourced from international antique markets and auctions. |
A reproduction of the famous billowing halter-neck ivory
dress was displayed at the exhibition, along with other costumes she wore in
her famous roles that the curators had painstakingly scoured the world for.
There was that pink silk evening dress that Monroe wore singing Diamonds Are
a Girl’s Best Friend, as well as the tasseled black dress she wore in Some
Like It Hot.
My personal favorite is the copy of a rhinestone-crusted
nude evening gown, which was exhibited with a video showing Monroe wearing that
gown singing Happy Birthday Mr. President to John F. Kennedy in 1962. The
dress is a full length evening sheath of flesh-colored soufflé gauze encrusted
with graduated rhinestones embroidered in a rosette motif. The original gown
was design by Jean Louis.
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| Lot#55 at Christie's Auction: The "Happy Birthday Mr. President" Dress |
This ‘Happy Birthday Mr.President’ suit is probably one
of the most significant dresses in history mainly for two reasons. This dress
was worn on a birthday celebration of President John F. Kennedy by the heart
throb sensation Marilyn Monroe with its tight curves and a backless back! This
most expensive piece of clothing was auctioned off by Christie’s in the year
1999 and fetched an astounding $1.26 million. The dress was featured in the
Happy Birthday tribute event organized in 1962 in the honor of President
Kennedy.
All the costumes featured at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum exhibition are
brought to life in the backdrop of a big screen playing the clips of Monroe
inhabiting the dresses with all her sensuality.
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| Fame in History: Clips from Marilyn Monroe’s films, featuring the costumes that were exhibited were shown at the exhibition. |
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She mastered a profound sense of irony and self-mockery,
particularly with respect to the female image created by men and for men in
classic Hollywood films, often reduced to a body, an object. In this way, she
laid the groundwork for the birth of the modern woman, who is aware of a man’s
desires and knows how to use them best to her advantage,” according to the exhibition
notes…
Most may be surprised to know, Monroe fought hard to be recognized
as a serious actress. She studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York which
turned out the finest actors in the United States and fought constantly with
studio bosses to be allowed to choose her own roles. She read widely, grew
interested in poetry and art, and sought out the company of intellectuals of
that time such as author Truman Copote and playwright Arthur Miller (whom she
married).
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| Monroe at President John F. Kennedy's Birthday Event |
Monroe was a beautiful yet complex woman, but was also a
strong, ambitious and smart. She was determined
to succeed and overcame great odds to reach the top of her profession. Who
would not, woman or man, admire and be inspired by such qualities.
Our experiences in our early twenties seem to mold and
shape the path we follow as we grow and mature into our future lives. Part of
mine, I am thankful for and attribute to my love affair with Gene and Marilyn. Two
people from different worlds both creative and business minded icons. By chance, or not, I am lucky to have known
one personally, captivated by the other, and inspired by both.
