Part One - Le Grande Tour

Before the scandal of Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress to the 2023 Met Gala, in the Fall of 2007 Marilyn Monroe fans were quite surprised and intrigued to find London "socialite" Peaches Geldolf on the cover and an inside spread wearing several iconic Marilyn Monroe costumes of the October 2 issue of Hello! Magazine. The article stated that after being hidden for forty years, the film-worn gowns would soon be displayed in Brighton at Stamer House. A 10p admission charge at the door would raise money for local/national Alzheimer's charities.

Organizers Andrew Hansford and Greg Silva explained how William Travilla's business and life partner of nearly fifty years, Bill Sarris, was now suffering from Alzheimer’s and wanted to ensure Travilla's legacy wasn’t forgotten. Sarris’ long-time friend Silva told journalist Sue Evison, “Bill feels Travilla has not received the credit and status he deserves. That’s why he has now agreed to allow me to ship the dresses to England where Travilla’s couture was always a sell-out in high-end stores. It was also a country he adored.”  

Titled “The Lost Collection,” it included three costumes from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Red Sequined gown "Little Girl From Little Rock," the pink sheath from "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," and a pleated gold lame seen briefly in the film but mainly used for publicity. Also included was the one-shoulder strap purple gown with a train from How to Marry a Millionaire, a “mystery dress ‘we cannot discover which film Marilyn wore it in” and a personal gown, “the most special dress he ever made for her” for a private party smudged where Monroe brushed up against a car tire. The centerpiece would be her iconic white dress from The Seven Year Itch.

Hansford explained the event happened: “Greg and I have been friends for years, but I knew nothing about ‘the lost collection’ until I opened my business [Hansford had just opened the Bartholomew House Skin Clinic.], and Greg offered to loan me one of Marilyn’s original dresses to hang in my shop window.” Andrew was gobsmacked. "I thought he was having me on at first until he explained about Bill and the collection. I felt the dresses deserved to be exhibited to help raise cash for charity, and after months of negotiations, Bill eventually agreed. From there, everything snowballed.” Plans were being made that “after Brighton, the Monroe collection plus other Travilla’s works will be exhibited in other venues across the U.K.”

The Hello! article immediately caught the attention of fans who were excited to finally be up close and personal with actual film costumes of their idol in an opportunity not usually available to them. The chatter became louder when several Monroe experts questioned the provenance's validity. Concerns focused on the fabrics' almost new condition, color brightness and differences, and the design inconsistencies between these gowns and those seen on the screen. Debates arose on several blogs and websites, spilling over into comment sections.

One particular collector worked hard to prove these dresses were not as claimed. Mark Bellinghaus, a former actor and now Marilyn Monroe crusader, repeatedly called Scotland Yard and threatened the organizers with legal action. Claiming fraud, he intended to keep the exhibit from ever opening. Bellinghaus and I were oil and water with a previous contentious history in the Los Angeles Marilyn community. After my offering comment on one site [TheArgus.com], he falsely claimed I was a part of the exhibition and began including me in his vicious attacks on the Travilla Estate. That's when I contacted Hansford to offer my assistance. A day later, Andrew replied to thank me for my support and seek advice on handling the Bellinghaus situation. Due to his lack of experience in the Marilyn Monroe community, Hansford was overwhelmed by Mark's actions and the enormity of his task. He desperately needed help. 

Bellinghaus wasn’t the exhibit’s only obstacle. Stamner House, the original venue, demanded 7000 pounds and a percentage of the gate. "I initially agreed to ten percent of the gate receipts to cover costs, which I thought was generous to start with. But then I got a call saying they wanted £7,000. I just thought, "You're having a laugh." In the end, they said they would be happy with 25 percent of the gate receipt, but it was too late." Hansford was forced to find another space at the Hilton Metropole Hotel East Sussex. 

Pre-exhibit flyer (l) Flyer given out at exhibit (r)

Photographs from the ballroom show an elegant, minimalistic exhibit. The gowns were displayed on raised platforms around the darkened ballroom's perimeter, individually lit from below. Displayed beneath each gown were corresponding sketches and pattern pieces. In the room's center was the Itch dress, worn at the press opening by UK Marilyn Monroe lookalike Suzie Kennedy. Hansford circulated among the reporters, VIPS, and guests to chat them up. Andrew commented to me how Marilyn fans impressed and sometimes frightened him with their knowledge, intensity, and the lengths they would go to somehow connect with their icon. 

Copyright 2007 The Independent

Andrew took his job very seriously. Journalist Ian Wilson reported Hansford "is a man with a mission; he is determined that William Travilla...should become much better known and more widely recognized." Wilson would later write of "numerous viewers falling into swoons." There were several instances of "serious weeping," and one fan forcibly removed over her obsession with one particular gown. Still, Hansford filled me in as we communicated over the exhibit’s four days.

Years later, I got an entirely different view from some connected with the exhibit. Nagging suspicions regarding accounting procedures and, with time, to examine the costumes up close, the authenticity issue. Before it was all over, friendships would end over the controversy. One person there from the beginning replied to my query with “What I could tell, you couldn’t print.” While another summed it up as "a dark, nasty, messy business."

The Estate fought back against Bellinghaus’ attacks. On October 9, Andrew told the Daily Express.com, "They are not fakes—they are original Travilla dresses all worn by Marilyn. For the films, there was always more than one copy made, but they were all actually worn by Marilyn." He mentioned that Sarris was "devastated by the slurs” while Sarris answered, “Several of each dress was made for each production; the studio would keep one while we kept the others for our archives.” 

The same day, on Travilla Inc. letterhead, Sarris stated, “As the partner of William Travilla, I am intimately aware of when and where these items were produced – they have never been out of my possession except on rare occasions when accredited and esteemed teaching colleges have asked to display the for instructional purposes…Whether used as a back-up, prototype or actually shot on film, these dresses are authentic…The crepe halter dress was never used for production, but I attest that it was worn by Marilyn Monroe to a private event and was a favored possession of William Travilla until his passing.”

According to Bellinghaus’ blogs, Giorgio Dimakas from the Estate attempted to reason with Bellinghaus by phone. On October 18, cease-and-desist letters were sent to Mark and his partner Ernest Cunningham when that failed. That did little good; in fact, he published them in his now daily attacks.

According to the firm of  Scwhartz, Wisot and Wilson, two experts examined the exhibition: Louise Coffey-Webb, curator of the Fashion Study Collection at Woodbury University, Travilla’s alma mater, "I whole-heartedly support the dissemination of this truly great designer’s work, as well as the desire to raise funds for charity" she writes "I have surveyed the collection belonging to Bill Sarris and Giorgio Dimakis, as inheritors of the estate of William Travilla, and have seen the original sketches, some with fabric swatches, and the original patterns created for dresses for Marilyn Monroe, and I can attest to their authenticity." 

Robert Nelson, Museum Director of FIDM Museum and Galleries, Los Angeles, has also seen the sketches, patterns, and dresses. " I had the privilege of knowing Mr. William Travilla since 1975, along with Mr. William Sarris," he says, "The importance of this collection cannot be underestimated or discounted in any way."

Based on Brighton's success, Andrew came to California in early November to gather more items to expand future exhibitions. I was visiting friends in Los Angeles and took a day trip to Palm Springs to meet Andrew and Greg for lunch. It's then I got the full backstory, and not just what was presented to the public. Silva’s suggestion to Andrew Hansford to display a Marilyn Monroe dress was in hopes of reigniting a previous romantic relationship. Silva was a long-time friend of Sarris but also the mysterious Giorgio Dimakis, whose only mention was in Bellinghaus’ blogs. Silva filled us in: Dimakis had been brought over from Greece by Travilla and his life/business partner Bill Sarris circa 1985. They were in a throuple relationship until Travilla died in 1990 with Giorgio and Sarris still together in 2007.

Hitting it off, we were invited to meet them back at their Rancho Mirage house. A short visit turned into hours, and Giorgio graciously made us dinner. During our visit, I was pulled into the garage to see an extensive collection of Dimakis paintings. An incredibly talented realism artist, he was also proud of repairing a stunning mosaic piece by Travilla. We departed with full stomachs, a trio of Marilyn sketch prints each, and a pledge to help them fight the attacks on the Estate.

Hansford returned to England with more items to expand the exhibit and take some focus from Monroe. They included a few non-MM sketches, costumes, and various awards, including Travilla's Academy Award for The Adventures of Don Juan. However, Bellinghaus’ legal threats caused the Hilton UK/Ireland Co. to indefinitely put on hold any further exhibits, leaving the Estate to find alternative venues for 2008.

Which it did.  Two successful weeks in Leeds during March, then on May 30 to June 1 in the London suburb of Bexleyheath at the Marriott Hotel before the coastal town of Deal at the Royal Hotel. Touted were the additions of dresses worn by Betty Grable, Whitney Houston, and Linda Gray. 

Hansford said, “Past exhibitions have been really great, really emotive. People still love Marilyn. However, the show is about Travilla for me. And I strive to talk about him.” He told Jenna Pudelek of KentNews, “The importance of the Travilla collection cannot be overestimated. These are priceless, iconic dresses from Marilyn Monroe's golden era on the silver screen, now on view for all to see. This is a significant collection of premium film fashion history.” The collection was now described as “Personal dresses worn by the actress, recreated from the original patterns by Travilla and prototypes that were fitted to her.” (It gives one a romantical image of Monroe and Travilla chatting like giddy schoolgirls while a seamstress pins fabric at her feet.)

As with other venues, Hansford would donate 15% of the 10p admission price to the local Alzheimer's charities. Pudelek erroneously described Andrew as Bill Sarris’ partner, “I promised him I would make this collection a celebration of Travilla’s life, but also help with this tragic disease.”

Gowns in Bath Exhibit with Andrew and Press.

The exhibit reached the Bath Costume Museum in July 2008, displayed in the Octagon Room. The collection now included gowns from Betty Grable, Diahann Carroll and Valley of the Dolls. The estate gained an ally in David Emmanuel, designer of Princess Diana’s wedding dress, who posed with Andrew at the exhibit.

Andrew with designer David Emanuel

It was a huge success. The Museum’s webpage proclaimed, “Ticket sales at the Council-run Fashion Museum were up by forty percent during the first week of the show, compared to the same week in 2007. Nearly five thousand people came to see the show during that time.” 

The museum rated the exhibition one of Britain's Top 5 Attractions for 2008, drawing larger crowds than Queen Elizabeth's dresses. The museum even created a lush postcard set to sell in its gift shop.

After Bath, stops included Manchester and the HMS President London, where Suzie Kennedy and Andrew posed for publicity photographs in the exhibit.

Oslo, Norway, was the final stop before Hansford brought the entire collection back to California for a three-month exhibition in Palm Springs, beginning the first week in January 2009.