Synopses & Reviews
Fifty years after her death, Marilyn remains an incandescent movie star, legendary sex symbol, and a woman whose private life fascinates the public—but the story never before showcased is Marilyn Monroes enduring impact on fashion.
From the pink satin Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend” gown, to the pleated white dress from The Seven Year Itch to the revealing nude sheath worn to sing Happy Birthday” to JFK, Marilyn created endless unforgettable looks. Before they were household names, she wore Ferragamo pumps, carried Gucci bags and wore the designs of Oleg Cassini, Norman Norell, Emilio Pucci and Jean Louis. In an era of Peter Pan collars, poodle skirts, and repressed sexuality, Marilyns sexy style and ability to spot up-and-coming designers made her a fashion visionary.
Marilyn in Fashion traces the evolution of her style, from wholesome sweetness early in her career, to sex kitten looks in the 50s, to elegant sophistication in the last years of her life. The text details the designers of her ensembles, where she wore them, and their influence on fashion. Behind-the-scenes stories reveal how the star often worked closely with designers to create looks befitting the Marilyn Monroe image. Illustrated with hundreds of rare and never-before-published photos, Marilyn in Fashion fabulously traces the style evolution of the ultimate Hollywood icon.
Review
Daily Mail (UK)“Marilyn’s iconic status as a film star overshadows her other major influence – on fashion and designers. From her uplifted white dress in The Seven Year Itch to her more casual sweaters and Capri pants, this sumptuous book is yet another excuse to gaze at Marilyn and the designers created for her by Hollywood’s top fashion brains, captured by her favourite photographers.”Sunday Telegraph’s Stella Magazine (UK)
“Published to mark 50 years since Monroe’s death, MARILYN IN FASHION looks at her relationships with designers and make-up artists. The images of her early years, before she was a peroxide blonde, are reinventing.” Total Film (UK)
“Showing how the star got to the top by dressing to thrill, it shines a new light on the shrewd intelligence working behind that pretty face."
King Feature Syndicate"This is a fascinating book with hundreds of rare and never-before published photos. The insights from the designers, co-stars, and Marilyn herself, offer a behind-the-screens glimpse at one of the most extraordinary people of the twentieth century. Marilyn in Fashion is an absolute joy and a fitting tribute to the style evolution of one of Hollywood’s ultimate icons."
Newsday“We love the in-depth look at Marilyn's dresses, hair, makeup and accessories, and her relationships with different designers, from Norman Norell to Jean Louis.”
Associated Press“Putting the spotlight on the designers that decorated Marilyn's famous figure, "Marilyn in Fashion" is an intriguing look at the way Monroe controlled her self-image via fashion. Full of full-color photos and divided in sections by designers such as Oleg Cassini and Emilio Pucci, the book tells the rarely told stories behind iconic looks such as the white dress she wore over the subway grate in "The Seven Year Itch" and the sequined gown she wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John Kennedy.”
Parade Magazine
"Marilyn in Fashion . . . proves who really wrote the book on 'iconic style.'"
About the Author
Christopher Nickens has been writing about Hollywood luminaries for over twenty-five years. His credits include a definitive photo biography of Bette Davis, which the star herself called "The most sensational record of my life in book form as yet." He lives in Los Angeles. George Zeno, a former fashion illustrator for 7th avenue design houses is owner of arguably the largest privately owned collection on Marilyn Monroe in the World. He is known as one of the leading authorities on the star, once profiled in Life magazine as the ultimate Marilyn expert. He lives in New York.