Hello Everybody!

I started this petition in the name of reason, and it is for the very sake of reason, that I always want to be honest and transparent with you all. A few days ago, photos were released showing the pre-Met Gala and post-Met Gala condition of Miss Monroes gown. However, the more we learn as things come out, it has come to my attention that the pre-Met Gala photo was taken several years ago, right before Ripley's acquired it.

The reason I am bringing this up, is because until we have legitimate close up photos of the gown right before it was worn, it is hard to logically blame Miss Kardashian entirely for the present condition. 

Now, does that mean that I don't think this piece was damaged by being allowed to be worn, not at all. The current photos were shocking and highly unnerving. The damage was extensive, but in the name of fairness, I'm not entirely convinced that ALL that damage was done by Miss Kardashian. 

Although, if she wasn't entirely responsible for its current condition, that in itself raises a few questions and concerns. The before photo shows the gown in pristine condition right before Ripley's purchased it. That means, that in the past few years of Ripley's owning it, it has been allowed to degrade far beyond that of simple age damage.

I have a sneaking suspicion as to why. Ripley's is not a legitimate museum, nor is it a respectable institute of historical preservation. Because of that, the pieces they own are used as cash magnets. This dress was probably constantly displayed on a mannequin, under harsh lights, in a non-temperature-controlled climate. All of which are valid ways that would have contributed to it's rapid degradation.

A valid organization would have known better. They would have kept it safely stored in a way to maximize its preservation, and maybe brought it out to display once in a very blue moon, for special showings, for very short intervals. It could even be argued that a valid institution would not display it at all, perhaps substituting a high-end replica for display, whilst keeping the original safely stored away for the eyes of researchers only. 

With all of that being said, the real problem here, is if this gown was in even half of that condition before Kardashian wore it, any professional couturier would tell you that this was a compromised piece that was not safe to be worn. That is why I still believe it was probably damaged further by wearing. Because once you reach that state of integral degradation, there is no chance that at least minimal damage did not occur, and any damage, no matter how minimal, is simply NOT acceptable.

Though, we may never know specifically what damage was recently caused by its actual wear, we now know for certain that Ripley's has damaged this dress significantly while it has been under its care, regardless of when or how.

Both Ripley's and Kardashians teams have claimed there was no physical damage after its wear, but honestly, why would they admit that? Until I hear from a reputable, unbiased third party on its pre and post conditions, I must take what the perpetrators of this situation have to say, with a grain of salt. 

Does any of this negate the seriousness of this campaign? Absolutely not. This just adds fuel to the firestorm of questions about the institution of historical preservation as a whole.

However, this is an ongoing story, and I will of course update you all as new information comes to light. If any of you have any information you would like to share with me regarding this, especially those who may have close ties to the situation, please do enlighten me so we can be as clear, concise and efficient with our campaign as possible. 

Also, thank you again for all of your support! If you have not shared the link to our campaign yet, please do, if you are able to do so. This situation has proven itself to be a whirlwind of a mess, and it needs to be addressed! 

                                                                          Love,

                                                                               ~ Madeline ~