Marilyn Monroe to launch fashion line.

[i_am_the_scruff]

Apologies if there's already a thread on this.

So we've had Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Lopez, but now the most famous celebrity of them all, Marilyn Monroe will release a whole clothing line.
But don't hide behind the sofa just yet she hasn't risen from the dead, a company which owns the rights to hundreds of photos of the Iconic figure has teamed up with Blues Clothing in America to produce a collection not only dedicated to her but in her name.

The collection ranges from simple T-shirts all the way through to intimate underwear and elegant dresses, the company exclaimed that it would "specifically focus on the retro look" which is hardly surprising since the iconic figure lived in the 40s and 50s

The president of Bradford Licensing continued to say: "We think that Blues Clothing will follow in the same direction. We expect the line to be trendy, fashionable and girly just like Marilyn was in person."

The label will launch in France to begin with early next year.
We'll make our minds up then.


I got this from http://www.stylenoir.co.uk/newnewsdetail.aspx?id=51

 

[Vintage Betty]

The trademark lawsuits should be fun to watch.

 

[KittyT]

We expect the line to be trendy, fashionable and girly just like Marilyn was in person."

Except that Marilyn wasn't trendy, she was sophisticated. She wasn't girly, she was extremely sensual and womanly. And she was in fact scandalous in many ways for NOT following some fashion norms of the time.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Oh dear............

 

[Smuterella]

there has been a Marilyn Monroe range of clothing over here for s while. Quite average basques and undergarments mainly. Only ever seen them in T K Maxx mind you.

 

[Blondie]

I remember when one of the bigs of the female undergarment companies in the USA released a line of Marilyn undies & bra's in the mid 90's i think....

 

[Smuterella]

I remember when one of the bigs of the female undergarment companies in the USA released a line of Marilyn undies & bra's in the mid 90's i think....

thats the one, it was Warner, it still going but small

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Yeah I have a couple of pieces from the Warner line. Cute stuff!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Speaking of Marilyn....

These photos have just surfaced of young Norma Jeane Mortenson. Norma Jeane on Catalina Island off the coast of California, where she was living with her first husband, Jim Dougherty. The couple moved to the island around 1943, the year after they were married. Dougherty once described their life there as being 'very normal'. 'Norma cooked and cleaned and I was the breadwinner'. Photograph from Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, by Michelle Morgan.

 

[Aurora]

I can't see a problem with this, there's a Bettie Page clothing range.. though she's still alive. Shame a lot of repros are in polyester though
BUT, if everyone else can have a clothing line, can I?

 

[Vintage Betty]

I can't see a problem with this, there's a Bettie Page clothing range.. though she's still alive. Shame a lot of repros are in polyester though
BUT, if everyone else can have a clothing line, can I?

I believe I read somewhere that Bettie Page doesn't have the rights to her name , and that she doesn't get a penny of these and other items labeled with her stage name. If I remember the article correctly, she is living quite poorly. Am I correct?

Vintage Betty

 

[LawnFlamingo]

The Bettie Page clothing line is "official" in the sense that she does get monetary compensation for the use of her name for the line. (at least, this is the response I got when I emailed a "bettie page copyright infridgement" form to her lawyer.)

She doesn't get a penny for a lot of the other stuff floating around out there, though.

 

[goldwyn girl]

A number of years ago Bloomingdales in New York had a Marilyn Monroe boutique, with 50'/80's style clothing. I believe it did'nt last to long. The problem with calling a clothing line after a famous person, in my opinion, is to cash in on the name and to create someone else's perception of what Marilyn or Bettie etc would have worn. It's great to have reproduction vintage, the more the better, but don't use someone's name who can no longer speak up for themselves.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

I don't know. If done properly, I suppose it could be a good line, but T-shirts don't sound promising.

I guess I object to using a long-dead celebrity's name to market someone else's vision of what that celebrity would wear today. Even a reproduction vintage line would be more acceptable, IMHO. It's somewhat like the Gap using Audrey Hepburn to sell skinny black pants. It's hard to explain, but it's just...wrong.

 

[scotrace]

Except that Marilyn wasn't trendy, she was sophisticated. She wasn't girly, she was extremely sensual and womanly. And she was in fact scandalous in many ways for NOT following some fashion norms of the time.

Exactly so and well said.

 

[*Dani*]

Yeah, I don't like this idea. Even if the clothes are great it just seems... distasteful to use her name to sell them.

 

[Foofoogal]

Norma Jeane was so beautiful. She wasn't a stick either. Quite ample.

 

[PS]

not quite sure if i'd call her ample! she sure was curvy but her typical weight was around 120..

 

[Butterfield 8]

I guess I object to using a long-dead celebrity's name to market someone else's vision of what that celebrity would wear today. Even a reproduction vintage line would be more acceptable, IMHO. It's somewhat like the Gap using Audrey Hepburn to sell skinny black pants. It's hard to explain, but it's just...wrong.

Yea, I'm dealing with this right now. The copyright laws are quite intricate and very specific. An example: Hedy LaMarr's lawsuit on Corel Draw [http://www.odessaoffice.com/wireless/Origin_Of_Wireless.html] . I would never have thought that was infringement.

My issue is that I am starting up a jewelry company utilizing my handle here with each piece named after specific classic movies. We are in the process of getting the specifics settled with a lawyer but it takes $$$ to get legal time; doing your homework in the area really helps but legal advise is always necessary in this area.

I think many people falsely think that a cease and desist letter is always step one- and a warning, and that is that. Many don't think that if the wronged party wants to sue for any monies gotten from the use of their name or image, they successfully can. The chance is too risky so you really want to do your research.

 

[Butterfield 8]

not quite sure if i'd call her ample! she sure was curvy but her typical weight was around 120..

I'm positive that was her usual weight but I believe she had ballooned to around 160 in Lets Make Love, but shed some serious pounds and was around 118 while filming Somethings Gotta Give.