Kim Kardashianpulled from Marilyn Monroe’s fashion archive for her Met Gala debut withPete Davidson.
All eyes were on Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, as they stepped out together to close out the 2022Met Galared carpet. But the fashion entrepreneur’s dress is what has everyone talking.
Kardashian borrowed one of Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic gowns — the"Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress— which has been on display in Orlando, Florida, atRipley’s Believe It or Not!. She topped off the glamorous style with diamond drop earrings and a white fur jacket.
“Well this is Marilyn Monroe’s dress and it is 60 years old and she wore this when she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy in 1962,” Kardashian toldVoguecorrespondent La La Anthony on the red carpet.
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“I had this idea to try it on and then they came with armed guards and gloves,” she continued.
But getting into the vintage gown was not an easy feat. “I tried it on and it didn’t fit me. I said, ‘Give me three weeks.’ I had to lose 16 pounds down today,” Kardashian admitted.
“It was such a challenge. It was like a [movie] role. I was determined to fit [into] it. I haven’t had carbs or sugar in about three weeks. We’re having pizza and donut party back at the hotel [after the Met Gala],” she added.
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Since Monroe’s gown could not be altered, Kardashian took small shuffling steps up the red carpet as Davidson, decked out in a classic black suit and sunglasses, held her hand the entire way.
“[Kardashian] didn’t let me wear my propeller hat but it’s fine,” Davidson joked to Anthony.
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For her exquisite makeup, Kardashian called on her makeup artist of going on 14 years –Mario Dedivanovic. The two have collaborated on eight Met Gala looks dating back to 2014, the pro shared exclusively withPeoplewhile breaking down this extra-meaningful one.
“Kim is my muse and no one inspires me quite like her, so any opportunity to work with her is very special to me,” says Dedivanovic, adding that event itself is also hugely significant. “It’s the Olympics of red carpets [and] my absolute favorite glam to do. The adrenaline and anticipation leading up to the event all adds to the experience. We get to create history together and I couldn’t be more grateful for that opportunity.”
To prep Kardashian’s skin, Dedivanovic used allAugustinus Bader skincare products. “This is the most genuine partnership for me—I use the brand every day on myself and on all my clients,” the pro says. “To start, I cleansed Kim’s face with Augustinus BaderThe Cream Cleansing Gel. Then, using a cotton pad, I appliedThe Essenceall over her face. Once The Essence absorbed, I appliedThe Cream. It’s my favorite product to prep the skin before any makeup application. It just works!”
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The session was a “great time,” Dedivanovic says. “Kim really enjoys the process of getting her hair and makeup done” Their ritual includes: “listening to music, laughing, eating—and one thing we always do before a big event is huddle together and say a team prayer before we leave.”
And this time around Kim’s sister Khloé got in on the fun. I also did [her] makeup, so we started Kim’s makeup in her hotel room much earlier than we normally do as I was sort of flip-flopping between them." Fun fact: We were still finishing Kim’s makeup in a tent outside of the Met before she walked out onto the carpet!"
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The 2022 Met Gala theme is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” with the dress code being gilded glamour and white tie. Channeling the time period between 1870 to 1890, the event “will ask its attendees to embody the grandeur — and perhaps the dichotomy — of Gilded Age New York,” perVogue.
Serving as a part two to last year’s “A Lexicon of Fashion” and paying homage to American history, the official exhibit for this year’s “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” will be on display in the storied museum’s period-centric rooms.
Fans assumed Kardashian and Davidson were waiting to make their red carpet couple debut at theMet Gala. But they surprised many when they opted toofficially unveil their relationship on the red carpetat theWhite House Correspondents' Dinneron Saturday (only two nights before the Met Gala) in Washington, D.C.
Kardashian stunned in a form-fitting, shimmering, silver Balenciaga Couture gown, while Davidson played it cool in a black Prada suit with matching sunglasses, a skinny tie, and Vans.
Be sure to check out all of PEOPLE’sMet Gala coverageto get the latest news on fashion’s biggest night.
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Last month, when Davidson supported Kardashian at the Los Angeles premiere of her family’s new Hulu seriesThe Kardashians, he let her have her solo moment and stayed away from the cameras. “He’s here to support me and it’s my thing. I don’t think it’s his thing to be all out here with me,” Kardashian toldE! News on the red carpet. “So I’m just so happy he’s here to support.”
However, she did tease their official red carpet debut that was to come when asked about the 2022 Met Gala.
“I’m not sure. You’re going to have to wait and find out,” she toldAccess Hollywoodwith a sly smile on her face. “I think we’re still figuring it out.”
Kardashian also gave a hint about what she had been planning for her Met Gala look, joking that this year, she wouldn’t be completelycovered from head-to-toe like at the 2021 Met Gala.
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“Yes, I will be able to see this year. I am going. It really depends if I fit into my dress. So I hope I’m going. I have to wait,” the star said. “I think it will be up to the last minute because it can’t be tailored so I have to fit in it like exactly. So we will see if I can shape-shift for the night.”
At last year’s fashion event, Kardashian wore a polarizing custom Balenciaga ensemble, featuring a long-sleeve turtleneck bodysuit worn under an oversize T-shirt dress with long pleated train. The edgy outfit was complete with jersey boots, jersey gloves and a mask that covered her face and head.
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As for his outfit choice, Davidson toldVoguehe was going for a “sexy nun” look.
Although Kardashian and Davidson’s romance didn’t blossom until afterherSaturday Night Livehosting gig in Oct. 2021, the SKIMS mogul recently revealed that the two did connect inside the 2021 Met Gala.
“I saw him at the Met and he knew I was hostingSNL, but it wasn’t announced yet,” Kardashian said during an appearance on the"Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast. “He came up to me and we were talking aboutSNL, and I was like, ‘They better hurry up and announce it, because I will not back out as soon as they announce it, but I’m so nervous.'”
She went on to explain how Davidson gave her advice to calm her nerves, then offered his phone number in case she needed help as she prepared.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I have gloves,’ and he was like ‘alright, cool’ and walked away,” Kardashian said of their first interaction. “But I was gonna be like, ‘Oh, take mine!’ But it was like, no. So we never connected or anything.”
Kardashian hasbeen linked toDavidson since last fall, when the pair werephotographed holding handsin Oct. 2021 at Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, California. Earlier that month, theyshared an onscreen kissduring Kardashian’sSaturday Night Livehosting debut.
She recentlysaid “it feels good” to date Davidson. “I think it’s just in life, like no matter what it is, I just think I encourage my friends and the people that I love just to be happy. And I went for it,” she said onThe Ellen DeGeneres Showlast month. “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m in my 40s like f— it, just go for it. Find your happiness.’ I went for it and I took my time. I found it and it feels so good. I want to hold on to that forever.
Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson.Kim Kardashian/Instagram
Davidson has also earned theKardashian-Jenner family’s stamp of approval.
“They enjoy having him around. He is great for Kim. He is getting to know her kids and everyone seems to be getting along,” a source told PEOPLE. “Pete hasn’t had any expectations. He gets that he is coming into a complex family situation. He doesn’t want to complicate things.”
Kardashian previouslyfiled for divorcefromKanye Westin February 2021. While the pair’s legal battle is still ongoing, a judgedeclared the businesswoman legally singlein March. The former couple also continues to co-parent childrenNorth, 8,Saint, 6,Chicago, 4, andPsalm, 2½.
source: people.com
