Kim Kardashian wears iconic Marilyn Monroe dress at Met Gala

May 3 (UPI) -- Kim Kardashian channeled late Hollywood film star Marilyn Monroe at the 2022 Met Gala.

Kardashian, 41, attended the event with her boyfriend, actor and comedian Pete Davidson, Monday at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This year's dress code was "gilded glamour."

For the red carpet, Kardashian wore the exact dress that Monroe sported to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy on his 45th birthday in 1962.

The iconic gown is based on a sketch by Bob Mackie for costume designer Jean-Louis. The dress features over 6,000 crystals, which create a sparkling translucent look when worn.

"Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case," Kardashian told Vogue. "In a sense, it's the original naked dress. That's why it was so shocking."

Monroe, who died at age 36 in 1962, is said to have originally paid $1,440 for the custom gown. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum acquired the dress for $4.8 million in 2016 and stores the outfit at one of its vaults in Orlando.

Kardashian said on the red carpet that she lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into the gown, which could not be altered. She completed her look with sleek platinum blonde hair and a white fur coat.

"Thank you Ripley's Believe It or Not! for giving me the opportunity to debut this evocative piece of fashion history for the first time since the late Marilyn Monroe wore it. I am forever grateful for this moment," the television personality said on Instagram.

Kardashian's previous Met Gala looks include the waist-cinching dress she wore to the 2019 benefit and an all-black look that obscured her face, which she sported in 2021.