Inspired by Marilyn Monroe: A Chicago Boudoir Photographer's Visit to the Centennial Celebration Exhibit in LA
Chicago Boudoir Photographer visits Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration Exhibit
Marilyn Monroe's legacy teaches modern women about confidence, beauty, sensuality, self-expression, and photography.
As a Chicago boudoir photographer, I spend a lot of time thinking about beauty—not just how it looks, but how it feels. Confidence. Femininity. Vulnerability. Strength. The stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how we deserve to be seen.
Recently, while visiting Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to attend the Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration Exhibit. As someone who has long admired Marilyn's timeless glamour, iconic style, and enduring influence on beauty and fashion, it was a meaningful experience to see personal and on-screen items brought together in one place for all who adore her.
While the exhibit showcased photographs, memorabilia, and personal artifacts from her life and career, what stayed with me most wasn't the sparkle of old Hollywood—it was the reminder that behind the world's most famous blonde bombshell was a woman who spent much of her life navigating the same desires many women still carry today: the desire to be seen, loved, understood, and celebrated.
***Note all of the images featured here were taken with my iPhone in a quick manner as I was more focused on experiencing everything in real-time and reading all the details. I highly recommend you visit while the exhibit (available until Feb 2027). Please do not share these images without crediting me @ Amelie Boudoir Chicago. Thank you.
The famed pink dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is breathtaking in person and even in iPhone images.
I’m a Gemini like Marilyn.
Chicago Boudoir photographer visits all-things Marilyn in LA.
Before heading to the Marilyn exhibit, I celebrated a birthday breakfast with my mom at Marilyn’s actual booth (#6) at The Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel. It was so so special.
More Than a Hollywood Icon: She was a strong woman
I just loved all of the home items. You really got a feel for what she was like.
Marilyn Monroe was a note-taker and like every Gemini…a planner.
Marilyn Monroe’s lamp
I think of all the items, I was most excited to see Marilyn’s home items. For me, these items really tell a story of the woman she was at the time. How she loved to read, plan, and decorate for the future.
Nearly every generation discovers Marilyn Monroe for itself. I discovered her at 8 years old and was hooked immediately.
For some, she's the woman standing over a subway grate in a white dress. For others, she's the ultimate symbol of old Hollywood glamour. Yet spending time immersed in her story reminded me that her legacy is much deeper than a famous photograph or a lipstick shade. Marilyn understood something many women often forget: You don't have to be perfect to be captivating.
In a world that constantly asks women to be more—Marilyn's appeal was never rooted in perfection. It was rooted in presence and pure magnetism. She embraced softness while remaining powerful. She could be playful and sophisticated. Vulnerable and magnetic.
As a boudoir photographer, I see this truth play out in every session. The women who walk into my studio are rarely professional models. They're teachers, nurses, physicians, entrepreneurs, mothers, brides-to-be, and women navigating major life transitions. And yet, almost every one of them leaves seeing herself as more beautiful and confident.
The famed camera Tom Kelly used to photograph Marilyn’s “Golden Dreams” Calendar shoot.
One of my favorite photos of Marilyn Monroe. That Chanel cologne bottle is everything. Wish they still made it.
What Marilyn Monroe and Boudoir Photography Have in Common
One of the biggest misconceptions about boudoir photography is that it's about looking sexy for someone else. In reality, the best boudoir sessions are about reclaiming how you see yourself.
Marilyn Monroe's imagery endures because it captured something authentic beneath the glamour. Even decades later, her photographs still feel intimate, expressive, and emotionally alive. The same is true of boudoir photography.
At Amélie Boudoir, my goal isn't to transform women into someone they're not. It's to help them reconnect with the version of themselves that may have gotten buried beneath responsibilities, expectations, and self-criticism. The confidence revealed during a boudoir session isn't manufactured. Sometimes it just needs permission to emerge.
A historic bottle of Chanel Cologne from Marilyn Monroe’s personal beauty stash.
The Art of Feminine Glamour
Walking through the exhibit, I was struck by how intentional everything felt. The styling. The lighting. The wardrobe. The care in preserving her history. Her value. Her contributions.
As photographers, we often talk about technical elements such as composition, posing, and light. Yet Marilyn's most memorable images demonstrate that true glamour is about emotion just as much as aesthetics. Her candids really speak to me, too.
Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration Exhibit was a must-see.
Pure Old Hollywood Glamour. A roundup of Marilyn’s personal items.
What’s captivating about most Marilyn images:
A glance over the shoulder.
A genuine laugh.
A quiet moment of reflection.
A subtle expression of confidence.
These are the same details that create photographs that last today. Many of the women who choose Amélie Boudoir are drawn to a similar aesthetic—timeless, romantic, feminine imagery inspired by classic beauty rather than passing trends.
There's a reason old Hollywood continues to inspire modern photography. Elegance never goes out of style.
So beautiful to see Marilyn Monroe’s actor’s chair in person.
A Reminder for Modern Women
Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from the exhibit was this: Every woman deserves to feel beautiful in her own story.
Not after she loses weight.
Not after she reaches a milestone.
Not after life finally slows down.
Now. Marilyn Monroe's photographs continue to resonate because they captured a woman who allowed herself to be seen. Imperfectly. Authentically. Unapologetically. That same opportunity exists for every woman today. Whether through a photograph, a personal milestone, or simply a decision to embrace herself more fully, confidence begins when we stop waiting for permission.
Marilyn Monroe’s wedding shoes when she married Joe DiMaggio.
One of my favorite dresses from Marilyn Monroe’s famed wardrobe collection.
I would gladly wear this today to take boudoir photos of my clients. Comfortable and classy.
Bringing a Little Old Hollywood to Chicago
Leaving the exhibit, I found myself inspired not only by Marilyn Monroe's enduring legacy, but by the women I photograph every week here in Chicago.
Women who are learning to celebrate themselves.
Women who are stepping into new chapters.
Women who are discovering that beauty lives within them
As a Chicago boudoir photographer, I feel incredibly fortunate to witness these transformations firsthand. And if there's one thing Marilyn Monroe's legacy continues to remind us, it's that confidence isn't about embracing your uniqueness.
Chicago boudoir photographer visiting the Marilyn Monroe Centennial Celebration Exhibit in Los Angeles
Looking for a Chicago Boudoir Photographer?
If you've been considering a boudoir session and want an experience inspired by timeless femininity, romance, and classic glamour, I'd love to welcome you to the studio. At Amélie Boudoir, I specialize in creating elegant, confidence-building boudoir experiences for women throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including Naperville, Wheaton, Geneva, St. Charles, Schaumburg, and beyond.
