Marilyn Monroe is still gracing magazine covers nearly 60 years after her passing thanks to digital rendering. The fourth issue of CR Fashion Book China features the late star styled in runway pieces from Miu Miu and Balenciaga, as well as in digital garments from Tribute Brand. Each of the eight looks will also drop as NFTs.
“Every editor and stylist dreams of working with the greats, but none compare to Marilyn,” Carine Roitfeld, who digitally styled the editorial, told Hypebae. “Her iconography stands the test of time — just look at the news over the last few months. The worlds of fashion, art, and cinema continue to be inspired by her cultural impact every day.”
Marilyn’s cover arrives shortly after Kim Kardashian donned one of the late star’s dresses, which generated some controversy, as well as after Netflix teased its upcoming Blonde biopic.
Is Monroe collectible? —
The CGI imagery of Monroe was created in partnership with Web3 startup Amethyst and Authentic Brands Group, which owns Monroe’s estate. Eight looks were created for the digital rendering of the star, each of which will later drop as an NFT via Amethyst. The array of covers depicts Monroe in modern looks from Miu Miu, Fendi, Balenciaga, Thom Browne, Balmain, and David Koma, as well as "contactless cyber fashion" fits from labels Auroboros and Tribute Brand. Additional images of Monroe’s CR China cover can be seen exclusively on Hypebae.
“CR was the obvious choice to style and debut the modern Marilyn,” said Jim Gibb, the creative director for the Marilyn Monroe Estate. “Carine Roitfeld is a premiere purveyor of taste, and we knew she and her team would be able to conceive Marilyn in a contemporary period without losing her signature ‘it’ factor.”
During her time (and even now, as Roitfeld notes), Marilyn was a prominent pop culture icon and sex symbol, two influences retained in her CR covers. That said, the editorial’s NFT aspect seems to tap into a subsequent part of Monroe’s life — that of objectification and exploitation. While a magazine cover honors the late star, NFTs of her likeness imply her image is a commodity. A price has yet to be assigned to the digital collectibles on Amethyst, but it should go without saying that Monroe’s influence is priceless.
