Courtesy of Jean Beaufort via Public Domain Pictures.
There are stars, there are legends, and then there is Marilyn Monroe. She’s a woman whose image has become so deeply embedded in popular culture that even decades after her death, she remains instantly recognizable in a single silhouette, a platinum curl, or a swipe of crimson lipstick.
Now, nearly 100 years after her birth as Norma Jeane Mortenson, the spotlight returns to Marilyn in spectacular fashion with Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon, an ambitious new exhibition opening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
Running from May 31, 2026 through February 28, 2027, the exhibition promises more than nostalgia. It is a glamorous yet deeply thoughtful exploration of Monroe not simply as a movie star, but as a strategic architect of her own mythology.
A blonde bombshell and brilliant image-maker
For decades, Marilyn Monroe was reduced to a caricature with the breathy voice, the hourglass figure, the sparkling gowns. But Hollywood Icon reframes her legacy through a modern lens. It examines how Monroe carefully constructed one of the most powerful celebrity identities in entertainment history.
Far from being merely manufactured by the studio system, the exhibition positions Monroe as a visionary collaborator in her own image. She was someone who understood photography, publicity, fashion, and performance with remarkable sophistication.
Through hundreds of original objects, visitors will step inside the world Monroe built around herself. Intimate letters, production documents, portraits, rare photographs, and personal artifacts are being publicly for the first time.
Fashion moments that defined Hollywood
Fashion lovers may find themselves lingering longest inside the costume galleries, which feature one of the most extensive displays of Monroe’s screen-worn wardrobe ever assembled.
Among the exhibition’s crown jewels:
- The legendary hot-pink satin gown designed by William Travilla for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — immortalized during Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
- Two stunning costumes created by Orry-Kelly for Some Like It Hot.
- Rare wardrobe pieces spanning Monroe’s entire screen career, from Love Happy to her unfinished final project, Something’s Got to Give.
The exhibition highlights how costume design became central to Monroe’s cinematic power. Each silhouette is carefully engineered to amplify vulnerability, glamour, seduction, and control all at once.
For film historians, fashion devotees, and anyone captivated by celebrity culture, Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon offers a rare opportunity to look beyond the surface of one of cinema’s most photographed women.
📍 Location: 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
🌐 Website: AcademyMuseum.org