Ana de Armas's "Blonde" Costumes Are Nearly Identical to Marilyn Monroe's Looks

Johnson worked with head pattern maker Jose Bello at Hollywood's Western Costume on the re-creation of this iconic look, which, she admits, took a lot of work due to the time-consuming pleating.

"It felt like we went through 40-something yards of fabric adjusting the amount of panels to get the fullness just right," she said, explaining that the skirt required an incredible amount of yardage to achieve the dramatic arc when the wind from the subway grate blows up. "The recreations you are accustomed to seeing stalking down Hollywood Blvd or at any given Halloween party have all really underestimated how big that skirt really is!" Two pairs of custom underwear were made for de Armas for this scene, based upon the pair Monroe wore in real life.

Originally created by costume designer Dorothy Jeakins for the 1953 thriller, this dress was sourced from Western Costume. "It is such a sexy and contemporary feeling dress," Johnson said. "It's a very sassy number, and [de Armas] had to sing a song with a quivering lip in the manner of Marilyn. She immediately propped herself on the flood supine and started singing when she put it on. She had no wig or makeup at this point, but had already given herself over to Marilyn."

Johnson credits the book "Dressing Marilyn: How a Hollywood Icon Was Styled by William Travilla" for her recreation of the "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" look Monroe wears while singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." While reading, she discovered that Travilla lined the entire dress in green pool table felt to give it the specific body and weight that would help Monroe achieve the right movement while gliding down the stairs.

"There was a moment, due to the heat of the wig Ana wore, that we thought about not using such heavy lining," Johnson said. "But upon fitting the dress and watching her move down the stairs, it was a must. We did not use green pool table felt, but it was tempting. Instead, it was a heavy cotton backing that helped de Armas simulate the dress's every move."

Johnson's team made faithful copies of the whimsical dresses Norma Jeane wore during her time with Arthur Miller, including this polka-dot sundress and her simple sheath wedding dress.

Toward the end of shooting "Blonde," Johnson and her team re-created the open-back rose dress Monroe wears in 1962's "Something's Got to Give." The design was originally constructed by Jean Louis, and Johnson's assistant worked with the art department and fabric printer to achieve a similar layout of roses. "It took a lot of trial and error to get the placement just right before the fabric was cut — a bit nerve racking to say the least," Johnson said.

Johnson shared a picture of de Armas getting into the boudoir costume that was made to conjure images of the 1959 romantic comedy — a lace embroidered slip covered with a black fur-trimmed sheer robe.

We see de Armas in a re-creation of the black-and-white collared halter dress Monroe wore to lead the "Miss America" pageant parade in 1952 down the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ. The original look featured a plunging neckline and belt at the waist, and was pinned with Monroe's grand marshal badge.

This still of de Armas as Monroe is one of the first we saw following the production announcement of "Blonde." It's a recreation of a moment from Independence Day in 1953, when Monroe was being fitted into a strapless swimsuit by a wardrobe assistant for a day of July 4 activities.

Johnson's team only had the time and budget to create one of each design, so the on-set costumer had to follow de Armas around set and look after her. This was particularly challenging when it came to the vintage white mink stole. "That was no match for [director] Andrew Dominik, the California heat, and copious amounts of lipstick and spilled on-set champagne," Johnson said.

The cone bra shape on Marilyn Monroe's most iconic Couture gowns was taken into consideration. However, Johnson wanted de Armas to feel natural, while still respecting the spirit of the original design. "I chose to not have her custom made bra padded so overtly pointed, as this silhouette viewed in today's lens becomes a distraction from the story," she said. "This film is not about Marilyn's historical accuracy per se as much as it is about Marilyn's inner-mind's landscape."