Look of the Week: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and the heightened stakes of costume design
CNN
Fans jumped to the defense of the late fashion publicist, whose memorable style legacy many fear is at risk of being sullied in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming biopic.
The “wrong” shade of blonde; a deflated, empty Birkin bag; and a camel coat so stiff it looks “like a brick,” according to one Substack writer. These are the main complaints of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy fans, who this week jumped to the defense of the late fashion publicist, whose memorable style many considered was being inaccurately portrayed in Ryan Murphy’s latest biopic. On Saturday, Murphy, the TV producer and creator of “Glee,” and “Pose,” shared a first look at the upcoming drama, “American Love Story,” which chronicles the tumultuous relationship and untimely demise of Bessette-Kennedy and her husband John F. Kennedy Jr. (played by Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly). A “fashion travesty” is what one user commented underneath the Instagram post teasing the images, noting that “Carolyn would never put these looks together. The fabrics are shoddy. Drape all wrong.” Indeed, in Murphy’s lighting test shots, the trusty, well-worn black Hermès Birkin bag that Bessette-Kennedy was often photographed carrying looked box-fresh, rigid and flat. Her camel coat appeared waxy and poorly tailored — something, commenters pointed out, went against everything the fashion titan stood for. Others also pointed out that Pidgeon’s hair was incorrectly colored, washing her out and making her look ashy. Even Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s original hair colorist, Brad Johns, joined the conversation. “No one would believe that Carolyn in the ’90s would ever have that color from me. It’s too 2024,” he told Vogue. “When she sees that color, she’s going to be swirling in heaven.” At first glance, the internet’s visceral reaction to a piece of streaming entertainment may appear outsized. But it also reveals a new, intense standard which biopic costume designers are expected to adhere to, and the depths of public emotions that remain for Bessette-Kennedy even 25 years after her death. Bessette-Kennedy’s journey from the Calvin Klein public relations department to becoming in-laws with then-US first lady Jackie Kennedy has captivated public interest for years. But her legacy extends far beyond the Kennedy surname, thanks to her strong visual identity and knack for sleek, casual dressing.
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