Bob Mackie calls Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s dress a mistake

Big mistake. Huge! It provoked a heated response when Kim Kardashian walked the Met Gala red carpet in Marilyn Monroe’s original 1962 Jean Louis dress, in which Monroe sang “Happy Birthday” for President John F. Kennedy.

Some praised Kardashian’s nod to the icon while others were concerned about the consequences of her wearing the actual gown. Conservationists and costume historians were critical of the negative precedent it would set, and the potential damage it might cause.

Who was the other person who didn’t like Kardashian’s choices? Bob Mackie was the fashion designer and assistant to Jean Louis. EW’s Mackie says that he thought it was a mistake while previewing the new Turner Classic Movies’ fashion series Follow the Thread. “Marilyn” was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess. Her beauty was simply amazing. She is a rare photographer like her. It was made for her. It was made for her. It should not be worn by anyone else.

Mackie also agrees with historians that the wearing of the gown was irreparably damaging to its structural integrity and preservation. Louis was just 23 when Mackie sketched the gown. He didn’t even know what the gown was, and he was not even aware of the original design that Marilyn Monroe had.