Andrew Dominic’s Blonde , played by Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, received 14 – At its grand premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, there was a standing ovation. The film fictionalizes Monroe’s inner life as she struggles with her superstar status. De Armas was drawn to the project not only to give him the chance to wear Monroe’s signature glamorous couture (all by Jennifer Johnson), but to showcase the vampire Old Hollywood star’s alternate looks one side. “I hope — not just that people know about Marilyn Monroe — I hope they can see Norma Jean, they can connect with her and feel her,” De Armas told Vogue . “They can also see her pain and vulnerability. I want audiences to rediscover who she is, in terms of what this woman means under the role of Marilyn Monroe, and discover her human side.”
For the film’s premiere Thursday, it was important that de Armas paid tribute to Monroe’s stylish signature. Her Louis Vuitton pink hand-pleated satin mousse gown did just that. “The inspiration for this dress is a tribute to the iconic dresses that [Marilyn] wears, both in film and in real life,” de Armas said. “I wanted to combine the silhouette of the white dress she was wearing The Seven Year Itch , and Gentlemen Love Blondes . I Want something light that feels like it’s floating—because I feel like it’s more like her, like her spirit.” This breezy gown features more than 60 meters of fabric and took up 350 hours of work. “[Nicolas Ghesquière] really worked on making the dress feel like Marilyn and Vuitton,” adds de Armas stylist Samantha McMillan. “The entire skirt is hand pleated and the pleated belt is Nicolas. It completes the silhouette nicely and modernizes it.”
Hairstylist Jenny Cho and Makeup Teacher Melanie Inglessis also paid tribute to Monroe in her own way. Cho nodded to Monroe’s graceful 1950 waves. “I wanted to capture the ’50 glamour with a beautiful Louis Vuitton dress,” she said. “I blow-dry my hair with a mousse, then use a 1-inch curling iron to curl and cool my hair. Then, I brush them into a shape and spray with a strong hairspray to maintain the hold.” Using Estee Lauder products, Inglessis wanted to create “a A timeless look that radiates from within…the focus is on Anna’s natural beauty.” She wears Pure Color lipstick in Knockout Nude (184) and Double Wear lip pencil in Tawny Soft eyes, radiant skin, and a nude pout were created to “complement her Marilyn Monroe-inspired dress.” The details were even down to the fingertips, says manicurist Ashley Johnson: “My thoughts were , a few diamonds just fell off her neck and landed on her nails. I chose a light color instead of a solid color; it’s clean, simple, and as charming as Anna and Marilyn are.”
Below, see the premiere of Blonde exclusively from de Arma style photo look at Venice.
