The 99th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth passed on June 1 with scant press attention, but don’t expect the screen icon’s centennial to go similarly unnoticed. The year-long festivities leading up to her 100th birthday begin this month with the debut of Pantone’s Marilyn Monroe Collection Palette, an assortment of shades designed to capture different aspects of her identity, with names such as Star White and High Risk Red.
Authentic Brands Group, which acquired a controlling stake in Monroe’s name and likeness rights in 2011, will be rolling out a variety of products utilizing the palette with partners including luxury goods label Tiffany & Co., Piper Heidsieck champagne, watchmaker Blancpain and jewelry designer Lele Sadoughi.
It’s just one entry in what promises to be a large roster of events and activations celebrating Monroe’s impact on art and culture through her iconic films – from the comedies “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot” to the elegiac drama “The Misfits” – and beyond.
Earlier this month, it was announced that “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” an exhibition exploring her public image through original screen-used costumes, photographs, production documents, letters and other personal items, will be kicking off a nine-month run at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on May 31, 2026. The life and legacy of Monroe – who was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926 and died of a barbiturate overdose in 1962 at the age of 36 – is also being explored through the ballet “Marilyn,” which had its world premiere at the Portland’s Newmark Theater this past April and will return for a two-week run in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in April 2026.
Variety spoke to Dana Carpenter, EVP of Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, about the genesis of Pantone’s Marilyn Monroe Collection Palette and how it ties into their overall plans for her 100th birthday celebration.
For some, a color palette might seem like an unlikely entry point for a centennial campaign. How is it being utilized in various brand partnerships?
It actually lends itself naturally to a lot of categories. We see this translating to things like apparel and fashion accessories, whether that’s doing limited runs in the color palette or using that color and infusing it into designs and prints and patterns for for things like dresses, footwear, etc. It can also translate into things like packaging.
How was the color palette developed?
The Pantone team was super collaborative, and we had a lot of fun putting the palette together. We talked about Maryln’s history. We looked at photography, both from her onscreen persona and her off-screen life, because we felt it was really important to look at her from both of those angles. She was a very multifaceted person. She had an incredible career, but her personal life was also quite interesting. So looking at all of those characteristics helped us to identify the story and the colors that we felt were most iconic to her. Obviously, it’s really easy to say, oh, she’s very famous for her red lips, but there were other elements that we thought were interesting and symbolic, whether that was looking at a really beautiful glittering gold to more core colors like black and white, which are very significant, whether you look at infusing from her beauty mark or her platinum blonde hair, which she referred to as pillowcase white.
Tell us the stories behind some of the shades.
Sure. High Risk Red is a really deep red. We felt it evoked a very strong sense of power as part of Marilyn’s history and legacy as an actress, an activist and a female founder. We also looked at two shades of pink. We have a Hot Pink, which is a little bit more playful and also signifies the lightheartedness of Marilyn, and Dynasty Pink, which is a metallic we think is really feminine, strong and beautiful, that has a lot of versatility to apply in a variety of different partnerships and product categories.
Are there any shades that harken back to her pre-Marilyn years as Norma Jeane?
I think that Peach Bud probably accomplishes that because it really speaks to her luminous complexion. When you look at early photos of her, that glow and smile that she had and her complexion really shines through.
In addition to being a female founder who established own production company, she was also a factory worker during World War 2. Is there anything you’re doing that leans into her Rosie the Riveter phase?
Not just yet. But I think, for us, Marilyn’s self-made storyline in terms of how she picked herself up by her bootstraps, so to speak, and really made herself into this incredible icon, not having been handed anything herself and coming from the foster care system, is such an incredibly uplifting and powerful story. So everything that we do really is about making sure that we are continuing to inform and educate how incredibly diverse Marilyn was and what an intelligent and powerful advocate she was, not just the beautiful bombshell on screen.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
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