She shaped the “Quiet Luxury” trend
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy: A Portrait
In addition to her stylish outfits, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was best known for her radiant and infectious smile.
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Since the mid-1990s, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy has been considered a style icon. Many New York women have been inspired by her. Her all-time favorite item of clothing: the white blouse.
When asked why she had never modelled, she once said: “Because it’s much cooler to be asked exactly that: why you’re not a model.” An answer that is typical of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The American, who married the then most eligible bachelor in the world, John F. Kennedy Jr., in 1996 and died with him in a plane crash in 1999, lived by the motto: Don’t put on an air show. And that also shaped her fashion style.
Black. Beige. White. These three neutral tones are the basis of a dress code named after Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (CBK). Her clothes represent a minimalist, clean style that was a counterpoint to the exuberant, shoulder-padded pastel ensembles of the flashy 1990s. And it was also the wealthy response of New York business ladies who did not want to get used to the baggy jeans, loud oversized shirts and logo hoodies of the Harlem rappers – the fashion that we often associate with the revival of the 1990s.
CBK, who was then working as a consultant to the fashion designer Calvin Klein shaped this zeitgeist. She was the fashion role model of a new generation; today we would call her a street style icon. “She is not a label girl,” said Karl Lagerfeld approvingly, in other words, she is not a woman who wears something just because of the designer’s name.
Everything she wore looked fabulous on her. (Karl Lagerfeld)
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It is no coincidence that the simple outfits of the East Coast are so popular again right now – and that a picture book of Carolyn’s best looks is coming onto the market. The fashion trend “Quiet Luxury” is currently celebrating a huge comeback. The focus of this fashion is a certain level of sophistication. It is again important that the skirt has the perfect cut, the round neck sweater is plain or the handbag expresses a certain classicism. “I don’t feel comfortable at all in anything that is richly decorated. I like simple, understated looks,” said Carolyn. She coined “effortless chic”, a style of clothing that expresses class seemingly effortlessly.
Less is more – this was not a worn-out cliché for her, but a lived fashion credo. In interviews, she admitted to having a rather small wardrobe and to relying on the perfect basics. She once said of her favorite no-frills, straight-cut wool coat: “This is a rich-girl coat. Made for women who invest in expensive Get in cars, get out, go to restaurants and get back in cars.”
Anyone who looks at the photos of Carolyn and John F. Kennedy Jr. today is surprised at how modern they still look today. Whether in sportswear, with a coffee to go in their hand or at an elegant evening event: the two harmonize perfectly in terms of fashion and prove that good style is timeless. When they hear the name Kennedy, many people immediately think of another style icon in America’s most famous family. But Carolyn, who grew up in wealthy circumstances in Connecticut and was voted the “Ultimate Beauty” at her Catholic school, never wanted to challenge the reputation of her mother-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy.
The Kennedy couple were almost always seen happy and in love in public.
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She went her own way, made a career and when John asked her if she wanted to marry him, she initially replied: “I’ll think about it.” This was not coquetry, because she knew how much attention one gets as a member of the Kennedy family – and she detested life in the spotlight. There are only a few photos of the wedding. But they show a radiant couple. She in a simple, white gown by designer Narciso Rodriguez. He later said that he tried in vain to convince the bride to embroider floral ornaments on the silk taffeta. But no, she wanted it to be as minimalist as possible.