One of Marilyn’s cheekiest publicity stunts has inspired a haute couture collection, as Diane Bradley reports for PR Week.
“Fashion, history and carbohydrates collided at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Wednesday.
Those passing through Vanderbilt Hall would have observed a runway setup surrounded by chairs filled with editors, influencers and tastemakers. Dance tracks pulsed throughout the hall, akin to what you would hear at a fashion show.
The scene didn’t seem so out of place, as New York Fashion Week just began.
However, there were some hints that this VIP runway experience wasn’t going to be the norm. For one, signs adorning the event noted it was showcasing The Haute Potato Collection. Another clue: the event was hosted by the Idaho Potato Commission, a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the ‘Grown in Idaho’ seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers they’re purchasing genuine Idaho potatoes.
Ten original couture looks were displayed in a collection that included flowing gowns, tailored suit silhouettes and architectural detailing, ‘elevating the potato sack into wearable art, reframing it as both cultural symbol and creative canvas,’ according to a statement from Idaho Potatoes.
But why? The idea for the event stemmed from [an] image of Marilyn Monroe wearing an Idaho potato burlap sack that Idaho Potatoes’ PR agency partner, EvansHardy+Young, came across.
‘We found this cultural nugget and realized we were approaching 75 years for this big anniversary moment,’ said Dana Valikai, director of PR at EvansHardy+Young. ‘So we took that idea and asked ourselves: How can we bring this to life in the most powerful place in today’s marketplace and thought of NYFW as a natural stage.’
Other Idaho Easter eggs from the event: Idaho-born Cartier Dior Eliasen, a Project Runway Junior alum, designed the outfits; and wellness influencer Kristin McGee, also from Idaho, was one of the runway models.
Select dresses from the collection are being auctioned, with all proceeds going to No Kid Hungry to help feed children across the country. Bidding is open at IdahoPotato.com through February 17 at 5 p.m. EST.
More than 100 guests attended the VIP press preview and an estimated 1,000 commuters and visitors experienced the collection throughout the day inside Grand Central Terminal, Valikai said.”
FYI:
Although the article dates the shoot to 1951, Gene Kornman’s famous photos were shot in February 1952, after a journalist had criticised Marilyn’s gaudy attire at the Photoplay Awards. Therefore, this month marks the 74th anniversary of that shoot, and not the 75th as stated above. (However, Marilyn first donned a potato sack for Earl Theisen back in 1951 – see here.)
UPDATE:
A High Plains menswear suit – suitable for all genders – was the top-selling item from the Haute Potato Collection, fetching $1,800 yesterday.
Ahead of the auction, designer Cartier Dior Eliasen spoke to People about her inspiration.
“‘I vividly remember seeing the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe wearing a potato sack for the first time while visiting the Idaho Potato Museum as a child, and it has always stuck with me,” the collection’s designer tells PEOPLE exclusively. ‘The image always inspired me to always think outside the box when it came to fashion, and taught me that glamour and style can come from anywhere.’
‘When I started working with the Idaho Potato Commission on this collection, it just felt like such a natural jumping off point,’ Eliasen says, reflecting on the enduring power of Monroe’s image. ‘We all knew and loved the photo – the juxtaposition of someone as glamorous as Marilyn Monroe wearing something as simple as a potato sack is so unexpected and striking, and there is a reason why the photo remains iconic to this day.’
Honoring Monroe’s spirit was central to Eliasen’s creative vision. She sought to preserve the ‘campy nature’ of the original photo while pushing the potato sack into haute couture territory.
Drawing on her training at Institut Français de la Mode and experience as a haute couture seamstress in Paris, Eliasen crafted silhouettes inspired by 1950s glamour but updated with modern elements like asymmetrical layers, inventive draping and bold prints.”
FYI #2:
Unfortunately, People reporter Tereza Shkurtaj has repeated the common error of attributing Marilyn’s 1952 shoot to Earl Theisen. As I have explained above, the photographer was actually Gene Kornman.
The Marilyn Report 