Carolyn Bessette Kennedy will be remembered for her influence on style.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy died tragically young in 1999, but her legacy as a fashion icon endures well into the 21st century. Classically beautiful with model proportions, she wore minimal clothes glamorously, and mixed-and-matched high and low fashion effortlessly. Her devotion to fashion was apparent through her work as an executive at Calvin Klein, her relationships with designers such as Narciso Rodriguez, and her commitment to a simple yet striking aesthetic. She epitomized '90s American style, and is continually referenced today as one of the few examples of timeless chic.
Calvin Klein
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy began her career in fashion as a saleswoman at a Calvin Klein boutique. She quickly worked her way up to director of public relations, and later to director of show production, at Calvin Klein, according to a 1996 profile in "The New York Times." In the article, former colleagues remembered her as the consummate stylist and brand representative, with a knack for pulling together original looks for important clients as well as herself.
Narciso Rodriguez
Bessette tapped her friend and former Calvin Klein designer Narciso Rodriguez to create the dress for her wedding when she married John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996; the simple, bias-cut column dress became a sensation after she was photographed in it. Upon Bessette Kennedy's death in 1999, Rodriguez publicly cited her as his soul mate and muse, according to Voguepedia.
Neutral and Minimal
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was often pictured in neutral colors such as black, white and camel. She wore little in the way of accessories, save for the occasional red lip or pearl stud earrings and her signature highlighted blond hair. She stuck to classic fabrics and cuts -- jeans, leather jackets, wool coats, men's cotton shirts and little black dresses. Her ability to make simple styles look glamorous was part of her widespread appeal, as well as her timelessness.
Avant-Garde
When Carolyn Bessette Kennedy did dress up, she favored the striking and the avant-garde, even while sticking to her commitment to simplicity. According to a 1999 tribute to her in "The Baltimore Sun," Tom Ford, then a designer for Gucci, was quoted as saying "[Bessette Kennedy] chooses simple, severe looks that not everybody would wear." These looks include, according to the CBK blog, the Gaultier pantsuit she wore to the 1999 White House correspondent's dinner, and the ruffled Yojhi Yamamoto jacket and pants that she wore to the 1999 Newman's Own/George awards gala -- both slightly masculine and severe for women's evening wear, yet simple, sexy and modern.
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