Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was only in the public eye for five years before the tragic plane crash that took her and husband JFK Jr.’s lives. But from 1994 to 1999, the paparazzi kept a hawk-like eye on the couple. Soon, Carolyn’s unique sense of style, blending American sportswear with avant-garde pieces, caught the eye of editors who reported on her every fashion move. Today — as the new book CBK Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life In Fashion by Sunita Kumar Nair attests — almost 25 years on from her death she’s still a mainstay on 90s minimalist mood boards, with Instagram accounts dedicated to documenting her singular taste and reduced aesthetic.
When Carolyn started dating John F. Kennedy Jr., she was thrust into the spotlight and used fashion as an armour to shield her discomfort with this sudden fame. Her look felt modern yet thoroughly timeless. And that’s what drew in Sunita, then a uni student living in Manchester, when she glimpsed Carolyn on the cover of a magazine in a petrol station. “She stood out,” the fashion editor and author of the new book recalls. “She was standing next to JFK Jr., but she was still standing in her own right. The way she was dressed was so reduced. She seemed very modern. That was it, you know? Then three years later, she was dead.”
Since that moment, Carolyn had always existed in Sunita’s periphery, influencing her reduced shopping habits and style choices by osmosis. Then, three years ago, after speaking to friends about how no one had written a book about Carolyn’s longevity as a style icon, Sunita decided to write it herself. She spoke to those who knew her best as well as creatives from across the fashion industry, including i-D editor-in-chief Alastair McKimm, Yohji Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester and Edward Enninful. From the book’s outset, Carolyn’s indelible mark on fashion is apparent. From crisp white shirts and tailored beige coats to little black dresses and skirt suits, it reads somewhat like a manual for a timeless capsule wardrobe. Indeed, Sunita hopes that readers will take away the message of sustainability and the importance of investing in one great piece.
Here, we caught up with Sunita on her new book, Carolyn’s style legacy, what makes an It Girl and how the quiet luxury vibe shift could encourage more mindful shopping habits.
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How did you make the decision to create this book?
I’m a fashion editor and stylist. I started off here in England for a couple of years and then I moved to New York. I was aware of Carolyn from when I was at university in Manchester. I remember the moment when I first saw her and from then, she was intermittently in my viewfinder. One day, I was speaking to a friend of mine, who was a lecturer at Central Saint Martins and I told her I’d been thinking about doing a book on Carolyn. She said that every year at least one student pins her as some kind of inspiration for their collection. So, I reached out to the wider fashion community and everyone was like, “Oh my god, why hasn’t this happened yet?” She’s still at the forefront of designers’ minds, but there wasn’t a book written about her or her influence and what she means today.
Carolyn passed away nearly 25 years ago. Was there a particular reason why you thought now was the right time to make this book?
There was nothing intentional about it. It just happened to fall in the right place at the right time. When I spoke to photographer Mark Borthwick, he said that the reason why he photographed the way he did in the 90s was because the 80s had happened. I feel like we are in a similar moment of excess, visually and inspirationally. There’s just too much of everything and I feel like it’s time to turn the volume down and really look inwards and ask ourselves if we really need 20 coats from H&M. Maybe it’s about having one really good investment piece. There is an evolution happening and I feel like people are ready for what Carolyn represents.
Do you hope that readers also take away that sustainability message from this book?
Yeah. I wanted to do the book in a way that, if Carolyn were alive today, she would feel comfortable with it. She was a very private person so when I spoke to her friends and family, it was only about fashion. I was not interested in anything else. It was about creating something that fashion students can take home. Or to persuade people to buy just one new piece a year. I hope that there’s a piece of the book for everyone. There’s depth there if you want it, but if you don’t, the book is still really beautiful to look at. It’s taking you somewhere else in your head.
Your first encounter with Carolyn was on a magazine cover at a petrol station in Manchester. What was it that made that moment so memorable and what initially drew you to her?
She just stood out. I was a uni student at the time. I think River Phoenix had just died. There were all these beatniks and everyone had this dirty edge about them. So Carolyn stood out. I didn’t know who she was, but the way she was dressed was so reduced. She was wearing a V-neck sweater and a long beige skirt. She was standing next to JFK Jr., but she was still standing in her own right. That was appealing. She seemed very modern. You could tell that she was her own woman. She just happened to be standing next to JFK Jr. That was it, you know? Then three years later, she died.
Why do you think you connected with Carolyn, despite your different backgrounds and cultures?
It’s simply the power of fashion. I was always drawn towards slightly masculine dressing. I didn’t like frills or over-accessorising. Carolyn had this masculine edge, but still felt very feminine. My mum and grandmother were very Indian in their dressing, in the sense that they loved wearing really rich colours and everything was matching. My grandmother would always comment if I wasn’t wearing any jewellery. It just didn’t feel very me. Carolyn spoke to me because she showed me that you can dress really simply and exactly the way that you feel is right for you.
People are always talking about what makes an It Girl and, in his introduction, Edward Enninful writes that it’s something that you’re either born with or you’re not. Do you agree? Is this definition still true in the age of influencer culture?
I think what Edward is saying is absolutely right. Why is Carolyn still alive in our memory 20 years on? Why do we think about Jim Morrison? Why do we think about Marilyn Monroe? There are certain people who just remain in our periphery and I think it is because they are genuine people and they know who they are and they just happen to be in the public eye. Carolyn was a bit different because she was a private citizen and she just married a very famous guy. She wasn’t hugely comfortable with that limelight, but she just kind of took it on. I think fame-seeking and feeling like you have to tailor your character and be a certain way doesn’t bring happiness. I think we’re all looking for our legacy or longevity and Carolyn is saying just be yourself. When you are yourself, you shine. That is what Edward is saying. You’ve either got it or you don’t. It is that star quality. We see so many people trying to engineer this persona. I think the younger generation can’t be fooled by that so you really have to back it up. Enjoy your individuality and who you are and I think that the rest follows.
Thinking of all of the iconic outfits in the book, are there any that stand out to you as the most defining?
There were so many. There was one that I couldn’t include in the book, but we did a TikTok on it. It was the Yohji coat dress that she wore. The Palais Galliera in Paris had featured it. I feel like that was a major look. There was another Yohji look, a skirt suit with a peplum jacket and skirt, which was pretty defining. Then there were her coats. She wore Ann Demeulemeester and Prada coats. She was very distinctive in what she chose and how she wore it.
Is there any person or people that you think most embody Carolyn’s style today?
I think the Olsen twins are probably the closest. Carolyn never sought fame and neither do they. They’re very private. They have their own style. They obviously represent The Row which is basically Carolyn’s way of dressing. They’re talented so they’re not seeking fame to validate who they are. They are who they are because of what their skill set is and who they are as women.
What was the most interesting thing you discovered about Carolyn while researching this book?
I think it was really interesting to be in her shoes for a moment and really empathise with her being catapulted from being a private citizen to a public citizen. I think that she was very clever in making sure that she didn’t give away what she didn’t want to and she used fashion to navigate that in-between space. Fashion was the entity between the outside world and the press and her, so she used it as her armour to protect herself. Friends talked about her unpreparedness for that fame and how it reminded them of how Diana was exposed. A lot of friends said that, in the press, there would be commentary on what she wore, but nothing on John, so at that time that was quite a hard thing for her to bear. It was very interesting to find out and empathise with her on a human level, even taking away the fashion bit.
‘CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy A Life in Fashion’ by Sunita Kumar Nair (Abrams, £50.00) is out now.
