When the FLOTUS was cool
In the fashion corner of the internet there was a flurry of activity recently surrounding a new Netflix series, American Love Story. The show will centre around the relationship between Carolyn Bessett-Kennedy and John F Kennedy Jnr. If your American history is a little rusty, the incredibly attractive and successful couple were the “IT” couple of the 90s, Carolyn was a fashion publicist for Calvin Klein, John was American Royalty, son of former president
JFK and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, they were both tragically killed in a plane crash in 1999. The yet to be aired series hit the sub-headlines due to some unfortunate test shots of the actors being circulated, they were probably intended to wet peoples appetites for the show, instead they caused a ruckus among fashion lovers, because Carolyn Bessett-Kennedy wasn’t just the wife of JFK Jnr, in her short 33 years she became a fashion icon and the clothes in the prematurely released photographs were deemed far from the standards required for such a feted name.
Why does anyone care you might ask? A little bit more sartorial background will help. Carolyn worked at Calvin Klein during the brands 90s hey-day, think the supermodels era Christy Turlington, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford, she then asked her colleague, the then unknown Narsisco Rodriguez to design her wedding dress, a simple ivory slip dress, capulting the designer to fame. Her looks went onto be one of the most catalogued of all time, and not out of maudlin sentiment, because her style really was a step ahead.
Nostalgia can play tricks on us, the 90s wasn’t all sophisticated minimalism, most high profile celebrities will look back at their 90s garb and cringe, but there isn’t a picture of Carolyn Bessett-Kennedy that you can’t take inspiration from. She more often than not championed a pared back style, her wardrobe contained was a lot of black and clean silhouettes but even then the pieces were interesting and the styling exquisite, she favoured Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, the most memorable being the button down jacket and skirt suit, silk wrap trench coat and white shirt and long taffeta skirt, while a long white Versace dress she wore was said to have inspired the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress.
Day time looks were often a white shirt or t-shirt, blue jeans or poplin straight leg trousers and a simple shoe like a black thong sandal or a Prada slingback, accessory wise it was never anything flash, her neck was usually bare of jewellery but she was spotted quite a few times in a headband and oval sunglasses, all of which have made a return to popularity and her style wouldn’t look out of place on the street today, I wonder do the modern day fans of this look even know who inspired them?
A cynic might say its a good publicity for the show and it is, but I hope for thesake of authenticity and the opportunity for a new audience to see Besset-Kennedy’s immaculate style on screen the wardrobe department for the showget the memo, we want to see this done well.
