Why is everyone still obsessed with Marilyn Monroe? The actress, who was born exactly 100 years ago on June 1, 1926, remains one of the most recognizable women in the world. Interest in her has not faded with time. If anything, it has only grown stronger, renewed again and again by exhibitions, auctions, fashion tributes and a new generation of stars who continue to borrow from her image.
A friend I asked had an immediate answer: “Because she’s iconic.” When I argued that this was not really an explanation, he expanded: because she died young, at 36, under circumstances that still invite speculation; because she invented herself, transforming from dark-haired Norma Jeane into the eternal blonde Marilyn; because Andy Warhol turned her face into unforgettable art.
All true. And still, none of it fully explains the phenomenon, which is now receiving a fresh wave of attention around her centennial.
Countless events around the world are marking Marilyn’s centennial. Among the main ones: London’s National Portrait Gallery will open an exhibition on June 4 featuring nearly 300 photographs of the star, including previously unseen images from the final weeks of her life.
The Cinémathèque française in Paris is presenting a major exhibition on Monroe’s life and acting career, alongside a retrospective of her films; the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is staging its own exhibition, with hundreds of items including costumes, letters, photographs and personal items.
Julien’s Auctions will also hold a major sale on June 4 featuring nearly 200 items, from rare photographs to dresses and personal objects once owned by the star.
The fashion and merchandise worlds have also embraced the centennial. GUESS launched its own exhibition and a Monroe-inspired capsule collection featuring corsets, capri pants and halter dresses, noting that its first-ever pair of jeans was named Marilyn.
Swarovski opened an exhibition in Austria exploring the connection between Monroe, Hollywood glamour and jewelry.
A special Barbie doll was released for the occasion, sparking a minor online debate over whether it actually resembled her.
ACC Art Books is also publishing a book in collaboration with Monroe’s estate, featuring 275 photographs, from her days as Norma Jeane to her final beach shoot in Santa Monica.
5 View gallery
Eternal inspiration. From Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2025 show
(Photo: GettyImages IL/ Andreas Rentz)
But the truth is, no anniversary is needed to understand Monroe’s reach. She is constantly present in fashion and popular culture. Two of the most visible young women in pop culture today can easily be read as Marilyn 2.0.
The first is Sydney Sweeney, one of the most talked-about actresses in the world, whose public image is built, at least on the surface, around blonde bombshell sexuality. Beneath that image, of course, is someone far more strategic and complex.
The endless discussion of Sweeney’s body, along with the doubts directed at her intelligence and acting ability, echo the way Monroe was treated in her own time. Like Monroe, Sweeney also has her own production company and uses her hyper-sexualized image with calculation and control.
The second is Sabrina Carpenter, whose entire persona, the blonde hair, flirtatiousness, ultra-feminine styling and teasing baby-doll voice, openly nods to Monroe. Unlike Monroe, Carpenter performs it with irony and self-awareness, which gives the whole thing its own contemporary charm. She has even recently collaborated with Madonna, perhaps Monroe’s most famous admirer.
And of course, it is impossible to discuss Monroe’s influence without recalling the 2022 Met Gala, when Kim Kardashian appeared on the red carpet in Monroe’s original “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress, sparking a storm after saying she had lost significant weight to fit into it.
5 View gallery
Kim Kardashian in Monroe’s dress at the 2022 Met Gala
(Photo: GettyImages IL/ Dimitrios Kambouris)
A year earlier, Billie Eilish, a Gen Z star usually associated with a more tomboyish style, arrived at the same event in a striking Monroe-inspired look.
Will Marilyn still have this kind of hold over young women and pop culture on her 150th birthday? Maybe the fact that her impact, like her death, remains something of a mystery is exactly the secret of her magic.