Revisited: Marilyn Legacy of a Legend

Reflecting on the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe exhibition at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in 2016.

More than fifty years after the death of Marilyn Monroe we still can’t get enough of the original platinum blonde glamour girl. Now a new exhibition,’Legacy of a Legend’, dedicated to the life of the 1950s film star has launched at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in London.

Featuring some of the most famous costumes seen in films worn by Marilyn, the exhibition is a glorious collection of memorabilia and personal possessions that have never been displayed together before. ‘Legacy of a Legend’ takes you on a journey through Marilyn’s life and contrasts her two worlds: public and private.

The exhibition opens with a vintage red convertible surrounded by large black and white media photographs of Marilyn. The glamour and opulence of her life in front of the lens is juxtaposed with large blown-up extracts of her letters and journals. Deeply personal and at times painful to read, they provide a fascinating insight into the woman who was an open book but simultaneously private.

Accompnaying Marilyn’s letters, writings and journals are a selection of accessories made famous by her films. Bags, shoes, jewellery and compacts to name but a few; the selection of personal artefacts on display act as the remaining traces of Marilyn.

The core of the exhibit is, of course, the costumes from Marilyn’s films. All the classics were there; the black cocktail dress from ‘Some Like It Hot’, the ‘Niagara’ pink wiggle dress and the iconic red dress from ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. Everything that made Marilyn ‘Marilyn’ and became part of film history was on display.

The level of detail applied to each costume is apparent, the intricate work and finesse of the dresses are exquisite. It is hard to believe that they are five decades old, they look as fresh and vibrant as they did in the original films.