A new FX drama, Love Story, has ignited a fervour for the fashion of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, the Calvin Klein publicist who married into the Kennedy family. The series, which chronicles her romance with John F Kennedy Jr, has become FX's most-watched limited series on streaming, with over 25 million hours viewed across the first five episodes on Disney+ and Hulu.
Bessette's style, often defined as 1990s minimalism with a focus on designers such as Calvin Klein, Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto and Prada, has attracted a new generation of admirers. Social media, particularly TikTok, is filled with influencers recreating her looks and makeup routines, while brands like Schwarzkopf have invoked her to promote products. Yet according to Sunita Kumar Nair, author of CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion, Bessette's appeal lies in her refusal to follow trends. 'I think she just knew who she was and dressed the way that she felt represented her,' Nair said.
Bessette's fashion has been described as the epitome of 'quiet luxury', a shift from the ostentatious 1980s style. Dr Colleen Hill, senior curator at the Museum at FIT, noted that Calvin Klein 'was thinking more about fit and materials than he was embellishments and this opulent luxury'. This understated elegance now resonates with audiences seeking authenticity in an age of oversharing. Nair remarked: 'She is probably the antithesis of what Gen Z has been growing up with.'
The renewed interest has driven a surge in demand for items associated with Bessette. A Prada camel coat she once owned sold for $192,000 at auction, part of a sale that grossed $408,750. The auction included four pieces gifted to Rosemarie Terenzio, JFK Jr's assistant, and 20 vintage items loaned to Love Story. Lucy Bishop of the Fashion Auctioneer, who hosted the sale, said she had long believed Bessette would be recognised as a major style icon. She observed mothers bringing daughters to view the pieces, noting the style's cross-generational appeal.
