How Swarovski Became the Rare Brand Whose Name Is Synonymous With Its Product

Its cut crystals have bedazzled fashion and showbiz for years

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On the night of May 19, 1962, Peter Lawford, hosting a Democratic Party fundraiser for JFK at New York’s Madison Square Garden, ceded the podium for one of the most famous performances of the 20th century. Having snuck away from the set of her latest film, Marilyn Monroe strode into the spotlight and launched into a breathy, suggestive rendition of “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”

The singing may have been average, but Monroe wasn’t. When she slipped out of her fur coat, she stood wearing a flesh-colored, skintight Jean Louis dress—it had literally been sewn onto her—and sparkled in the spotlight: The dress had been stitched with 2,500 Swarovski crystals.

In 1892, when Daniel Swarovski patented a machine that cut lead crystal into brilliant stones (above), the worlds of fashion and show business came running—and they still are.
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This story first appeared in the Oct. 9, 2017, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.