Marilyn Monroe Color Photograph

Color photography of Marilyn Monroe in a gold dress in front of a black background

The gold dress shown on this photograph was designed by William Travilla, who was a leading costume designer for 20th Century Fox in the 1950s. This dress was specifically designed for Marilyn Monroe’s role in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It was a pleated halter-dress made out a single piece of gold lame featuring an opening going down almost to the navel. Marilyn had to be sewn into it as the dress did not have any buttons or a zipper. She was only shown wearing it onscreen for several seconds but she convinced the head of 20th Century Fox to allow her to wear it again to the 1953 Photoplay Awards.