Hugh Hefner’s burgundy smoking jacket, slippers and tobacco pipe were sold at the auction.
Julien’s Auctions
A slew of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner collectibles sold at auction over the weekend, including a pink Pucci dress worn by the actress and a smoking jacket and slippers worn by the Playboy founder.
The three-day auction, which ended Saturday, saw the long-sleeved silk jersey Pucci dress go to the winning bidder for $325,000, which set a record for a Pucci dress sold at auction, according to organizer Julien’s Auctions.
Also sold were the one-space mausoleum crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary in Los Angeles, located near the final side-by-side resting places of Hugh Hefner and Marilyn Monroe, for $195,000; a grave marker from Monroe’s crypt, for $88,900 (constant touching from fans led to minor wear, causing it to be replaced); Hefner’s burgundy smoking jacket, slippers, pajamas and tobacco pipe ensemble ($13,000); and a circular mansion bed custom-made for Hefner as a backup to his primary bed at the original Playboy Mansion in Chicago ($13,000).
The crypt, bed and other items were sold to Anthony Jabin, a tech investor from Beverly Hills. ”I’ve always dreamt of being next to Marilyn Monroe for the rest of my life,” Jabin said. “And I bought Hugh Hefner’s round bed and Marilyn Monroe’s bathing suit at Julien’s this weekend.”
Also sold was a dress that Monroe wore for The Seven Year Itch. Described as a Mae West-inspired black and cellophane effect evening gown designed by costume designer William Travilla, the dress was worn by Monroe in the classic 1955 film’s dream sequence scene, which was later cut from the film. It was sold for $127,000.
An original Jean Louis painted cream/beige silk jersey cocktail dress worn by Monroe for The Misfits cast press conference in the summer of 1960 sold for $65,000.
Monroe’s custom shade of Elizabeth Arden lipstick, in a goldtone case with typewritten label reading “Orange Pink like Miss I./ sample 05022/ May 2, 1960,” sold for $65,000, making it the second-highest-selling lipstick in auction history.
A three-piece bathing suit ensemble custom-made for Monroe to wear in the 1954 musical There’s No Business Like Show Business sold for $29,250. Elton John had donated the suit to a charity auction in 1990.
A lavender satin, boned leotard costume worn by Monroe as Lillian Russell for a pictorial feature in the December 22, 1958, issue of Life magazine, sold for $29,250. Monroe also dressed as Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich for the series of photographs, which were taken by Richard Avedon.
The auction, dubbed “Icons: Playboy, Hugh Hefner X Marilyn Monroe,” featured more than 600 items and brought in more than $4 million. While organizers noted that Hefner and Monroe never met, their “legacies became inextricably linked when Monroe appeared in Hefner’s inaugural 1953 issue of Playboy. In that moment, they gained worldwide fame, becoming two important figures of twentieth-century America and Playboy establishing itself as an iconic global brand.”