Marilyn Monroe's Centennial: A Century of Fashion Homages
On the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's birth, Vogue surveys how designers have referenced the iconic actress across decades. Gianni Versace's 1990 collection famously used Warhol's Monroe prints, reissued by Donatella in 2017. Dries Van Noten applied photo prints to menswear in 2016. Dolce & Gabbana referenced her potato sack revenge dress in spring 1992. Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen iterated on costumes from The Seven Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Jean Paul Gaultier's 1984 cone bras exaggerated 1950s silhouettes. Yves Saint Laurent's spring 1990 couture paid tribute to Monroe among other figures. Recent homages include Marc Jacobs' fall 2024 collection evoking the subway grate dress, and Dolce & Gabbana's spring 2025 channeling cinema blondes. The article includes quotes from critics Nicole Phelps, Sarah Mower, Tim Blanks, and Sally Singer.
Key facts
- Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday is in 2026.
- Gianni Versace used Warhol's Monroe prints in 1990; Donatella reissued in 2017.
- Dries Van Noten used Monroe photo prints on menswear in spring 2016.
- Dolce & Gabbana referenced Monroe's potato sack dress in spring 1992.
- Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen referenced Monroe's film costumes.
- Jean Paul Gaultier designed cone bras in 1984 inspired by 1950s silhouettes.
- Yves Saint Laurent's spring 1990 couture paid tribute to Monroe.
- Marc Jacobs' fall 2024 collection featured Monroe's subway grate dress reference.
Entities
Artists
- Marilyn Monroe
- Andy Warhol
- Gianni Versace
- Donatella Versace
- Dries Van Noten
- Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
- Domenico Dolce
- Stefano Gabbana
- Thierry Mugler
- Alexander McQueen
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Yves Saint Laurent
- Catherine Deneuve
- Zizi Jeanmaire
- Marcel Proust
- Bernard Buffet
- Christian Dior
- Philip Treacy
- Prabal Gurung
- Bert Stern
- George Barris
- Erwin Blumenfeld
- Christopher Kane
- Junya Watanabe
- Marc Jacobs
- Laura Gerte
- Monica Vitti
- Marlene Dietrich
- Jane Russell
- Nicole Phelps
- Sarah Mower
- Tim Blanks
- Sally Singer
- Nick Remsen
Institutions
- Vogue
- Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris
- Andy Warhol Foundation
- Comme des Garçons Shirt
- Max Mara
- Moschino
- Loewe
- Études Studio
Locations
- Paris
- France