It seems that we as fashion and beauty lovers can never tire of exploring the world of the iconic Ms. Monroe. Among the many individuals who were lucky enough to have a personal relationship with the blond bombshell, one design house in particular has a connection like no other. Marilyn celebrated Ferragamo at the start of his career with her extensive collection of the Italian-made footwear. Now, in the fifty-year anniversary of her death, the brand celebrates Marilyn. A tribute exhibition titled “Marilyn” opened June 19^th at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence, Italy.

The exquisite retrospective includes all things Marilyn, from photographs and film clips to famously recognized pieces from her wardrobe. On display are Marilyn’s most iconic film looks including the pink satin gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the white gravity-defying frock worn in The Seven Year Itch. Thirty pairs of Ferragamo’s from her collection anchor the exhibit to the brand along with a hand written shoe order for the young Hollywood star. (Note the 1961 price of under $50 a pair!) “I never met her, but I know Marilyn used to buy our shoes at our Park Avenue store in New York,” said Wanda Ferragamo, according to WWD. “She was always wearing our pumps, especially with sequins in red or white." And in a dainty 6 1/2 we might add!

Portraits of Marilyn are displayed alongside famous works of art, their comparisons acknowledged and interpreted by curators Stefania Ricci and Sergio Risaliti. A photograph by Bert Stern posthumously known as Marilyn’s “last sitting” is compared to a marble sculpture circa 1820 and the 1962 George Barris work featuring our muse in a sweater on the beach is likened to Botticelli’s Venus. The Museo Salvatore Ferragamo appears to have captured the true essence of Marilyn; her, in the words of the New York Times, “eternal beauty” rather than the fleeting pin-up persona of decades ago.

The opening night fete saw starlets Anna Sophia Robb (young Carrie Bradshaw in the upcoming The Carrie Diaries) and Rose Byrne welcomed by pseudo-Marilyns dressed in the memorable white-hot frock. The exhibition will remain at the museum for your viewing pleasure until January 28^th. Until then, see it vicariously via our slideshow below.