Much lyrical has been waxed about the enduring appeal of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s enduring 90s minimalist wardrobe. The perennial patron saint of understated and streamlined dressing has long been heralded for her crisp Yohji Yamamoto dress shirts, all-American Levi’s and slick Calvin Klein midi skirts.
Now, actual items that once hung in her Tribecca closet are available to purchase in a historic sale. Hosted by Sotheby’s, the auction will peddle an exclusive suit of outerwear formerly owned by the late publicist. After years of shopping Khaite and The Row in search of the perfect CBK-inspired leather boot or sumptuous knit, a few sartorialists will have the distinctive honour (and privilege!) of rehoming a small number of her cherished wares.
The garments available to purchase include a Prada single-breasted black double-faced wool coat from 1997, a vintage faux-leopard fur coat believed to be from 1969 and a truly stunning Yohji Yamamoto jacket sculpted to skim the body.
Estimated to fetch between AUD$74,156 – $88,987 for the entire lot, the pieces were passed onto the collection of Bessette-Kennedy’s friend RoseMarie Terenzio, who previously served as the executive assistant of her husband John F. Kennedy Jr. and the chief of staff at his quasi-political and lifestyle magazine George.
As Terenzio recounted to Sothersby’s, Bessette-Kennedy gifted Terenzino the archival animal-print coat to wear on a first date. “She said, ‘It looks perfect on you. You should keep it. I’ve been photographed in it so many times, the media are going to start making fun of me’,” Terezio said to The Cut.
For those willing to invest in a slice of modern history, mark your calendars for December when the auction is slated to take place. July of this year marked the 25th anniversary of CBK and JFK Jr.’s untimely death. The couple tragically passed away in a plane accident off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts alongside her sister Lauren. The pair wed in an intimate, secret ceremony on a small island in Georgia in 1996 where the bride wore a pearl-coloured silk crepe slip dress designed by then-emerging designer, Narciso Rodriguez.
While owning these wares may be merely a dream for some, we’ll always have the rare pictures of her iconic sleek style. Below, some of GRAZIA’s favourites:
