Monroe's glamorous legacy still manages to win many hearts. A Pucci dress found its way to the hammer of an American auction house last week. To the surprise of experts, the pink creation generated no less than eight times more than originally estimated.
The long-sleeved silk dress, featuring crystals and tassels, was reportedly worn during a Vogue photo shoot with photographer Bert Stern and recently sold by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills as part of a series of iconic Playboy items.
The dress was made by the Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci. It was expected to raise between $40.000 (€36.080) and $60.000 (€55.211). That turned out to be just a bit more... Ultimately the hammer came down to $325.000 (more than €301.000).
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It is not the first time that Julien's has auctioned a dress from the American actress and fashion model. An earlier version, designed by Jean Louis, was sold by the auction house in 2016 for more than $4.8 million (over €4 million). This was worn by Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to then-President John F Kennedy. Six years later, the Happy Birthday dress retrieved from the archives and worn on the Met Gala by Kim Kardashian. However, this decision was not appreciated by fans. They claim that the garment is seriously damaged as a result.
Other items auctioned include the 1953 first edition of Playboy magazine, with Marilyn on the cover, a black evening dress worn in the film The Seven Year Itch, a swimsuit from the movie There's No Business Like Show Business, an umbrella she used for a photo shoot in 1949 and a black bra with a framed photo. A number of items from Playboy man Hugh Hefner were also offered. Enthusiasts could bid on his burgundy dressing gown, silk pajamas and slippers.
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