You Can Now Own A Piece Of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Iconic Wardrobe
It’s one thing to emulate your style icon, but what about actually getting the chance to wear their clothes? For fans of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the late Calvin Klein publicist and wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., known for her enduring minimalist style, this could soon be a reality. In recent months, social media tutorials on how to replicate the fashions of Bessette-Kennedy have proliferated. And this winter, three of her iconic pieces will go under the hammer at Sotheby's second annual Fashion Icons sale.
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According to the auction house, the items come from the collection of RoseMarie Terenzio, Bessette-Kennedy’s publicist, executive assistant, and close friend, who was gifted the garments. The first piece is a 1997 Yohji Yamamoto black wool double-breasted jacket from his AW98 collection, which Bessette-Kennedy wore to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal event in New York City. With an expected price between $15,000 (£11,400) and $20,000 (£15,300), the jacket reflects her long-standing connection with the designer, who openly regarded her as an inspiration.
Next up is the single-breasted belted Prada wool coat worn to President Clinton’s 1997 inauguration. Bessette-Kennedy also famously threw this classic coat on with narrow oval sunglasses and a Spazzolato bag for many of her off-duty looks. This particular coat is also estimated to sell for $15,000 (£11,400) to $20,000 (£15,300).
The sale will conclude with one of Bessette-Kennedy’s more daring pieces. A vintage faux-leopard fur coat, famously worn and later passed on to Terenzio in 1996. Expected to fetch between $20,000 (£15,300) and $30,000 (£22,900), it shows a rare, playful side to her typically pared-back wardrobe.
‘Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s gift was in elevating the simple, which not everybody can do so effortlessly. The beauty of her wardrobe was in the details; her tailored coats and shirts and the tousled, undone hair she’d have with off-the-runway Prada,’ says ELLE UK’s Deputy Site Editor Naomi May. ‘In today’s fast-paced world of microtrends, she ought to be the poster girl for how dressing well doesn’t mean wearing anything other than that which you’re comfortable.”
Even 25 years after her tragic death, Bessette-Kennedy’s influence endures, particularly for those who value a timeless and unfussy approach to dress. Wear any of these pieces with simple straight-cut jeans, a crisp white shirt, or perhaps a black off-the-shoulder evening dress and you’ve mastered Bessette-Kennedy’s look. Rarely is a signature style so simple and easy to replicate and that’s perhaps the reason for its long-standing success.
The auction starts on November 27th and runs through December 17, with the garments on display at Sotheby’s in New York from December 5–10.
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