The iconic pink gown Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is undergoing conservation at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles ahead of a new exhibition. The dress will serve as the centerpiece of Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon, which opens May 31, 2026. The show runs through February 28, 2027.
Inside a white conservation room at the museum, conservators have turned the gown inside out for close examination. Associate curator Sophia Serrano noted that the design is brilliant but the quality was never intended to last beyond filming. Traces of sweat stains and signs of strain remain visible from the original shoot.
