Marilyn Monroe's Centenary Across Film, Entertainment and Fashion
Courtesy of Genesis House
On Monday, June 1, the world marked 100 years of Marilyn Monroe, celebrating the timeless grace, magnetism and cultural imprint of Hollywood’s most enduring icon through exhibitions, activations and collaborations spanning the globe.
New York City kicked off Marilyn Monroe’s centenary with an anticipated lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building. Marilyn Monroe 100 brand ambassador and Sports Illustrated model Camille Kostek led the celebration, helping illuminate one of the world’s greatest landmarks in tribute to Monroe’s enduring cultural impact in New York City and beyond.
The centennial celebration also touched down in Nevada at the renowned Wynn Las Vegas, where brands including Nine West and Piper-Heidsieck hosted immersive activations as part of the MM100 Birthday Celebration Presented by GUESS. Curated brand displays and custom seating areas transformed the Encore Beach Club, inviting guests to relax and wind down under the summer sun while enjoying live entertainment and high-energy experiences.
MARILYN IN MOTION: MUST-SEE EXHIBITIONS
Photos: Courtesy of Genesis House
Genesis House hosted “Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon,” an experiential activation in New York City, blending exciting multi-sensory moments with rich storytelling. The curated space explores Monroe’s transformation from Norma Jeane to a global icon, inviting guests to reflect on the ambition, creative agency and artistic reinvention of the actress.
Adding to the revelry, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures debuted “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” an exhibition that takes a contemporary curatorial approach to reframing the icon’s celebrity through found materials. Rare original objects, handwritten letters, journals, photography and screen-worn artifacts provide a unique opportunity to engage with her defining milestones while showcasing her creative agency in a new light.
The National Portrait Gallery in London also opened “Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait,” a landmark exhibition created to celebrate the centennial year. The gallery features works by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol and more than 20 influential photographers who captured Marilyn throughout her life.
While other exhibitions focus on the personal objects that orbited within Monroe’s world, Iconic Images’ London display further explores the tastemakers and photographers who documented her meteoric rise in print media. Spanning famous photojournalism that globally circulated in magazines, newspapers and more, Iconic Images challenges attendees to consider how Monroe’s image became so powerful in the public domain and the artists responsible for capturing a visual language synonymous with Old Hollywood glamour. The showcase is open to the public until Saturday, July 4.
Brands Toast to 100 Years of Marilyn
Limited-edition collaborations honored Monroe with assorted product drops in fashion, beauty and footwear. Nine West rolled out the red carpet for Monroe’s 100th, debuting a new collection of slingback sandals and strappy footwear options decorated with crystal accents that pay homage to a star equally dazzling.
GUESS transformed Rinascente Milan with an immersive window takeover celebrating the launch of its spring/summer 2026 Marilyn Monroe capsule collection. A cultural landmark in its own right, Rinascente Milan’s citywide tribute embraced the romance surrounding Monroe with glamorous red-and-pink window displays evoking the cinematic grandeur of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Featuring striking campaign imagery, apparel and accessory showcases, the activation brought A-list energy to one of the city’s most iconic destinations as part of the global centennial festivities.
Other global popups included Piper-Heidsieck, with the iconic champagne house toasting to Monroe’s birthday at London’s Covent Garden during an exclusive tasting experience. The immersive experience highlighted her relationship to the Champagne house through storytelling and branded experiences inspired by her timeless glamour.
MARILYN IN FASHION: COLLABORATIONS & COLLECTIONS
Renowned makeup artist Lisa Eldridge also celebrated the centennial by launching a new makeup collection that pays homage to Monroe with warm, rich pigments and striking gold vintage packaging. "Those who knew Marilyn talk about her radiance: her humor, her energy, her sense of freedom,” says Eldridge. "So when the Marilyn Monroe Estate approached me for a collaboration, I leapt to recapture that joy, diligently researching authentic color references that Marilyn loved, reimagined in cutting-edge, modern formulas.”
KITH for Marilyn introduces a modern streetwear capsule in honor of Monroe’s 100th birthday. The capsule’s lightweight T-shirt designs feature vintage-style iconography with KITH’s sleek design DNA. Meanwhile, IPSY launched exclusive Marilyn Monroe-themed designs for its IPSY Original and IPSY Extra beauty bags. The collaboration was supported by dedicated editorial content that highlighted the many ways in which Monroe has shaped modern interpretations of style and femininity, introducing subscribers to products inspired by her vanity must-haves.
Blancpain’s Ladybird Tribute Collection revealed a range of diamond-adorned timepieces inspired by Monroe’s personal Blancpain. The commemorative capsule reimagines the original Art Deco-inspired design (fashioned after NYC’s landmark Chrysler Building) through meticulous craftsmanship, honoring her timeless style sensibilities. Each timepiece represents a letter in her name.
All that sparkles continues with the latest Aurate launch, following the success of their inaugural collaboration. The brand recently unveiled its second Aurate x Marilyn Monroe jewelry collection, translating the icon’s style into modern pieces made for everyday wear. The collection includes sparkling bands, two-tone knot bracelets, tennis necklaces and an assortment of fine jewelry accented with lipstick-red rubies in honor of the entertainment icon.
Happy Jewelers unveiled its Marilyn Monroe Centennial Collection, a limited-edition jewelry line that celebrates the duality of Marilyn Monroe and Norma Jeane. This storytelling carries through thoughtfully crafted designs, honoring both the global superstar and the woman behind the image, translating her multifaceted legacy into pieces designed for today’s wearer.
Color Street launched the limited-edition Millionaire Manicure, a luxury nail strip featuring real 23-karat gold flakes. The release expands the ongoing Marilyn Monroe x Color Street collection, combining beauty innovation with storytelling that honors Marilyn’s confidence and the design accents of the era.
What’s more, Authentic partner Thalia teamed up with Shark Beauty to celebrate Monroe’s centennial, unveiling the upcoming Shark x Marilyn Monroe collection to her audience. Through a dedicated social collaboration, Thalia introduced the limited-edition FlexStyle and HydroGo designs, helping build excitement ahead of the collection’s global launch.