Idaho Designer Transforms Potato Sacks into Couture Creations 75 Years After Marilyn Monroe's 'Iconic' Photo (Exclusive)
- - Idaho Designer Transforms Potato Sacks into Couture Creations 75 Years After Marilyn Monroe's 'Iconic' Photo (Exclusive)
Tereza ShkurtajFebruary 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM
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Marilyn Monroe; model in fashion show.
Earl Theisen/Getty;Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Idaho Potato Commission
On Feb. 11, 2026, Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall hosted "The Haute Potato Collection" during New York Fashion Week
The one-of-a-kind collection, designed by Idaho-born Cartier Dior Eliasen, was inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic 1951 potato sack moment
Select looks are being auctioned to benefit No Kid Hungry – turning the fashion event into an innovative way to support children in need
Grand Central Terminal became an unexpected epicenter of fashion, agriculture and nostalgia with the debut of "The Haute Potato Collection" during New York Fashion Week.
Inside the historic Vanderbilt Hall, vintage Idaho potato sacks were transformed into couture creations, blending history and high fashion in a way that stopped commuters in their tracks.
The unique collection paid homage to Marilyn Monroe’s legendary 1951 potato sack moment, reimagining the iconic image through a contemporary lens while honoring the playful spirit that made it unforgettable 75 years ago.
“I vividly remember seeing the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe wearing a potato sack for the first time while visiting the Idaho Potato Museum as a child, and it has always stuck with me,” the collection’s designer, Cartier Dior Eliasen, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “The image always inspired me to always think outside the box when it came to fashion, and taught me that glamour and style can come from anywhere.”
Designer Cartier Dior Eliasen.
Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Idaho Potato Commission
Monroe’s potato sack photo is still a pop culture touchstone decades later, emblematic of her ability to transform even a burlap sack into a statement of elegance and confidence.
After a journalist criticized her for wearing a sultry red dress – quipping that she would have looked better in a potato sack – her studio, Twentieth Century Fox, cleverly staged a photo shoot with Monroe dressed in exactly that.
What might have lingered as a slight instead became an iconic testament to her charisma, proving that true style depends not on luxury fabrics or ornate embellishments, but on presence and self-assurance.
“When I started working with the Idaho Potato Commission on this collection, it just felt like such a natural jumping off point,” Eliasen says, reflecting on the enduring power of Monroe’s image. “We all knew and loved the photo – the juxtaposition of someone as glamorous as Marilyn Monroe wearing something as simple as a potato sack is so unexpected and striking, and there is a reason why the photo remains iconic to this day.”
Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait in a dress made out of an Idaho potato sack in 1951.
Earl Theisen/Getty
Honoring Monroe’s spirit was central to Eliasen’s creative vision. She sought to preserve the “campy nature” of the original photo while pushing the potato sack into haute couture territory.
Drawing on her training at Institut Français de la Mode and experience as a haute couture seamstress in Paris, Eliasen crafted silhouettes inspired by 1950s glamour but with modern elements like asymmetrical layers, inventive draping and bold prints.
The result is a collection that merges nostalgia with contemporary artistry, paying tribute to Monroe while celebrating technical craftsmanship.
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Model in the 'Haute Potato Collection.'
Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Idaho Potato Commission
Working with vintage Idaho potato sacks also carried personal significance for Eliasen, who comes from a family of potato farmers in American Falls, Idaho.
Her early experiments with unconventional materials – including a childhood dress made from recycled phonebooks – fostered a lifelong love of creative resourcefulness.
“My family and my community in Idaho have done so much to help me make my dreams come true, and it is such a special full-circle moment for me to work with the Idaho Potato Commission to realize this collection,” she emphasizes.
Eliasen’s personal favorite pieces of the collection include the hand-painted suits, which incorporate vibrant potato sack prints and nod to her western roots with playful bellbottoms.
“Each graphic was hand-painted and strategically placed on each pattern piece, in a way that is reminiscent of some of the traditional quilting techniques I learned from my family growing up,” she reveals.
Models in the 'Haute Potato Collection.'
Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Idaho Potato Commission
For the Idaho Potato Commission, the event represented an innovative way to celebrate the state’s agricultural heritage.
President Jamey Higham tells PEOPLE: “Idaho potatoes have always fit in everywhere. They are one of the world’s most versatile vegetables, equally at home at a backyard barbecue or on a five-star restaurant menu. So in many ways, New York Fashion Week felt like the next unexpected place to show that.”
By linking the historical Monroe photo with contemporary fashion, the collection showcased both Idaho’s cultural impact and the pride of its farmers – many of whom see the humble potato sack as a symbol of “generations of hard work and a deep commitment to quality.”
Model in the 'Haute Potato Collection.'
Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Idaho Potato Commission
Beyond the runway, the event connected fashion with philanthropy by partnering with No Kid Hungry to support children in need.
Auction proceeds from select looks will help ensure children across the country have access to the meals they need to thrive.
“Fashion is a universal language that captures attention. Purpose sustains it. This collaboration did both,” Anaïs Laurent, the associate director of talent partnerships at No Kid Hungry, tells PEOPLE.
Luckily, bidding isn’t over, and interested supporters can place their bids HERE through Feb. 17 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Every dollar raised through the event contributes to programs that provide grants, operational support and advocacy to address childhood hunger.
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