The Newbridge Museum of Style Icons (MOSI) has today announced an exclusive exhibit to celebrate the work of designer William Travilla.  

Travilla, who counted Marilyn Monroe as one of his muses, designed for over 270 screen goddesses in his time, but it is his creations for the original blonde bombshell that have truly become his legacy.

The Newbridge Museum of Style Icons will host the “Collection of William Travilla’, for a limited period only, from Monday, September 2nd 2013 until September 30^th 2013, in association with Julien’s Auctions. 

The never before seen collection was bequeathed to partner of the late designer when he passed in 1990, and this is the first time it will be seen anywhere in the world. 

Some of the Marilyn Monroe highlights of the “Collection of William Travilla” exhibition include a Monroe/Andy Warhol Blue Tribute Dress which was created for an Andy Warhol memorial service at the Beverly Hilton and mimics the famous Seven Year Itch dress, a Marilyn Monroe “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” inspired gown by Travilla featuring the gold lame sunburst halter gown design, a “Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes” Travilla sketch), Travilla’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business” Academy Award plaque a 1953 Travilla “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” costume sketch and a Marilyn Monroe “Seven Year Itch” inspired Travilla gown along with several other pieces.

Also included are his personal effects, sewing room artifacts, Oscar patterns and original watercolor renderings.

Through his close friendship with Marilyn Monroe Travilla created one of the most iconic costumes in all of film – the pleated ivory cocktail dress Monroe wore in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. His costume became synonymous with Monroe as she wore it while standing on a New York subway ventilation grate and as the subway train passed the dress flew up in the air. Travilla was also nominated for an Academy Award for How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, There’s No Business Like Show Business in 1954 and The Stripper in 1963. Over the course of just a few years Travilla designed for eight of Monroe’s films and many of these gowns have gone down in history as his most important works.  Monroe was so enamored with Travilla that she once autographed one of her infamous calendars with the inscription “Oh Billy dear please dress me forever, Love Marilyn.”          

     

Travilla with his most famous muse, Marilyn Monroe   

Travilla also designed for other iconic women of film and music including Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Faye Dunaway, Judy Garland, Sharon Tate, Jane Russell, Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Diahann Carroll, Susan Hayward, Loretta Young, Joanne Woodward, Barbara Stanwyck and many more. Other highlights from Travilla’s personal collection will include a brown chocolate Betty Grable dress worn in “How to Marry a Millionaire,” a black satin Linda Gray “Dallas” Travilla Gown 1980s and Travilla’s Emmy Award for “Dallas”. 

In addition to his achievements in Hollywood, he also created a successful high-end fashion line that spanned several decades with many of the collections being directly influenced by the costumes he created for film and television.  Travilla remains the subject of documentaries, films, books and feature stores to this day because of his dramatic influence with Marilyn Monroe and in film in general. 

“You cannot compare the influence Travilla had on Hollywood fashion history,” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions. “His personal iconic representations of Marilyn Monroe’s fashions and his incredible friendship with the screen icon are what Hollywood lore is made of. We are thrilled to exhibit the very rare fashion collection from the Estate of William Travilla and look forward to welcoming visitors to the exhibition in the Newbridge Museum of Style Icons.”

The must see collection is part of a vast inventory of Hollywood memorabilia that will be part of a Hollywood Icons auction at Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills gallery on Saturday, October 12^th, 2013.

 

NEWBRIDGE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS (MOSI) EXCLUSIVE EXHIBIT:

Monday, September 2nd 2013 until Monday, September 30^th, 2013

Mon-Sat – 9am – 6pm

Sundays – 11am-6pm

Free entry and free parking