BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

Julien’s Auctions concluded its highly anticipated three-day auction event, “Icons: Playboy, Hugh Hefner X Marilyn Monroe”, held from March 28^th to March 30^th, with a grand finale presentation of iconic items from Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner.  The auction achieved a total of US$4 million and set a new world record, with Marilyn Monroe’s pink Pucci long-sleeved silk jersey dress selling for an impressive US$325,000 and becoming the top lot of the auction.

The event took place live in front of an audience of bidders at NYA Studios East in Hollywood, attracting over eight thousand bids online, and on the phone, from countries across each continent such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Mexico, Monaco, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Germany, and Hong Kong. The collection previously traveled to the Fringe Club in Hong Kong for Julien’s inaugural exhibition in the city, where it received an overwhelmingly positive response from the press and a strong attendance. 

Image download here (credit: Julien’s Auctions)

Though the two Hollywood icons remarkably never met, Hugh Hefner’s and Marilyn Monroe’s legacies became inextricably linked when Monroe appeared in Hefner’s inaugural 1953 issue of Playboy. At that moment, they gained worldwide fame, becoming two important figures in twentieth-century America, and Playboy established itself as an iconic global brand. 

The three American icons were brought together for the first time in auction history, and over 600 historical items, including wardrobe, costumes, production documents, furniture, jewelry, artwork, personal effects, and more, were sold across the three-day auction event. 

Notable results

From Monroe’s Wardrobe:

The final resting place of Monroe:

Items from Monroe’s last films:

More highlights from Monroe’s collection:

Hugh Hefner’s famous wardrobe and furniture from the Playboy Mansion all sold:

Leroy Neiman’s iconic Femlin illustrations all sold:

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Julien’s Auction