| Artist |
: |
Madonna |
|
| Type |
: |
Apparel |
| Acquistion |
: |
01-01-07 |
| Source |
: |
Auction |
| |
| Description |
- Madonna's costume worn in the 1985 pop video Material Girl
- This is perhaps the single most important Madonna outfit that could possibly exist, and one of the most important outfits in the history of music and music videos
- The fabulous costume is comprised of a pink satin dress with bustier top, a huge satin pink bow, a white faux fur stole from Edwards-Lowell of Beverly Hills, a set of pink satin opera gloves, two rhinestone cuffs, and a rhinestone bracelet
- The Material Girl music video, which was a send-up of Marilyn Monroe's Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, was filmed in January of 1985 and released the following month to wide popular acclaim
- Today, it remains her signature video, and the album from which the song was taken, Like A Virgin, is credited with catapulting her to super stardom
- The fact that the Material Girl video paid homage to Marilyn Monroe is quite apropos considering the history of this particular costume
- In addition to having been worn by Madonna during the video, the costume has also been used in a number of other television and film productions relating to Marilyn Monroe
- The entire custom was originally rented from the Palace Costume and Prop Company and is accompanied by a letter from the owner of the company, detailing its extensive use prior to and after the filming of Material Girl
- Palace Costume Company rented the outfit directly to the production company for use by Madonna in the music video
- The dress has been utilized in numerous productions over the years since its construction in the early 1980s
- The dress was originally made for a television movie called "Norma Jean," which was about Marilyn Monroe's life story, and was then rented to Madonna for use in the Material Girl video
- The last production it was worn in was the 2001 television movie "Blond" which was also about Marilyn Monroe's life story
- After Madonna wore the dress, various costume designers altered the dress to accommodate the needs of each actress
- The most drastic alterations were done for the last production, "Blond," where the loose fitting dress and oversized bow were altered into the form fitting dress it is today
- Gilberto Guzman, head tailor at Eastern Costume Company has documented the alterations made to the dress throughout the years, and the new alterations he has made to reinstate the dress' original look when worn by Madonna in the Material Girl video
- Also accompanying the costume is the detailed letter from Gilberto Guzman documenting in detail the various alterations made to the garment
- Also accompanied by a promotional poster (19.5 x 29.5, Ex) for the song and video picturing Madonna wearing this very costume
- "Material Girl" became another top five hit for Madonna on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and her third number-one single on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart
- The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of February 9, 1985, at #43, as "Like A Virgin" was descending out of the Top 10
- The single climbed the Billboard Hot 100 quickly, jumping 13 spots from #18 to #5 the week of March 9, 1985, and eventually spent two weeks at #2, held off by REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling"
- The single reached the top five in the UK, Canada and Australia, among other countries
- Madonna often remarks that it is the song she regrets recording most, for the fact that it became her nickname
- She has also said if she knew then that it would be her nickname throughout her career she probably would have never recorded it
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