A Scottish luxury brand once favoured by Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe is making headlines again. A cardigan owned by the late film star, created by MacMillan of Thornielee, is expected to fetch up to £10,000 at auction.
MacMillan of Thornielee Cardigan Details
The cashmere garment was produced in the 1950s by the small knitwear firm based in Innerleithen, Peeblesshire. The company, which ceased trading decades ago, made the cardigan for sale at the upmarket New York department store Jay Thorpe. It was there that Monroe purchased it, and it became a favourite in her personal wardrobe.
Described as a 'grey butterfly cardigan', the item is part of Heritage Auctions' 'Marilyn Monroe Unfiltered' sale, with an estimate of £10,000. The actress was photographed wearing it with her arm around friend Hedda Rosten in 1956, during Monroe's filming of The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier in England.
Auction Lot Description
The lot description reads: 'Marilyn Monroe Personal Grey Butterfly Cardigan. Vintage original light grey cashmere cardigan sweater with delicate butterfly motif from Marilyn Monroe's personal wardrobe collection, ca. 1955-1962. Marilyn Monroe pictured wearing the cardigan with her arm around her friend Hedda Rosten in 1956. Crafted from lightweight pure cashmere with long sleeves and a shawl neckline, featuring crème-colored contrast buttonholes and crème and grey embroidered butterfly motifs across the front, back, and both sleeves, creating a delicately feminine design. Retaining internal maker's label reading, 'MacMillian of Thornielee/Scotland/100 per cent Pure Cashmere /Made Expressly for Jay Thorpe.''
Bidding began on Monday, the 100th anniversary of Monroe's birth. The auction includes letters, private notes, and poetry, described as 'one of the most intimate and consequential Monroe archives ever to reach the public'. All lots come from the estate of Norman and Hedda Rosten, close friends of Monroe.
Joe Maddalena, Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions, said: 'Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most enduring and influential figures in American popular culture. While her image and story have been revisited time and again, opportunities to encounter her in such an unfiltered way are exceedingly rare. This is a remarkable archive of primary material that offers fresh insight into her inner world and a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors, scholars and admirers alike.'
Previously, an off-white cashmere short-sleeved crew neck sweater by the same firm, also worn by Monroe, sold for around £7,000—almost five times the top estimate.
