Marylin's pink dress is this month's top searched

Marilyn Monroe continues to shape the collective imagination. She has always done so and even more so today. Accomplice Blonde, the controversial film starring Ana De Armas as the iconic star, we all found ourselves rediscovering the most famous diva ever, the details of her life that we ignored, her filmography and, inevitably, her outfits on and off the screen. We find ourselves typing the secrets of her medium, fluffy, blonde haircut, what her favorite lipstick or perfume was, and, most importantly, we search for her all-pink look in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Have you figured out which one we are talking about? In one moment in the Howard Hawks-directed film, Marilyn, who plays dancer Lorelei Lee, descends the staircase surrounded by suitors offering her glittering jewelry as she sings Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. All the attention is on her and her pink dress. The wow effect of this image remains indelible in our minds. This is also confirmed by the search engine Stylight, which reports a 206% increase in searches for "pink dresses" on the platform, comparing the week before and the week after the release of Blonde in Europe.

For that look, costume designer William Travilla had only one direction: to design the most sensual costume ever created. His first idea was a simple bodysuit to be paired with fishnet stockings, bling-bling jewelry and long black gloves, but things turned out differently. While the musical was still in the works, reporter Aline Mosby circulated some shots in which the American diva had posed nude, so the director suggested opting for a more "covering" outfit. The result was bright pink, silk, strapless gown with a super-fitted silhouette that held up thanks to the felt lining, with a wide side slit, a strap that marked the waistline, a large bow at butt level, gloves work in the same shade of pink, and a shower of jewels. That boldly colored creation became one of the most iconic in film history and perfectly restored Marilyn's tender yet sensual pin-up image. No wonder, then, that in 2010, touted as "the most important film costume ever to come to auction," the dress sold for a final price of $260,000. 

Now that Monroe mania has broken out and the latest Barbie movie and Valentino with its Pink PP have turned pink into the color of the moment, searches for Marilyn's pink dress are multiplying and inspiring so many celebrities for their red carpet moments. Remember Ana de Armas at the Venice Film Festival in an extra-long pleated dress by Louis Vuitton, Florence Pugh's sheer and fluffy creation at Valentino's Roman fashion show, or Nicola Peltz in all pink at the Met Gala 2022? But there are so many more stars who chose an outfit that in color or shape paid homage to Monroe's, confirming how easy it is to fall under the spell of the divas of yesteryear and their timeless style.