The wedding dress worn by
Carolyn Bessette
Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (January 7, 1966July 16, 1999) was a publicist for Calvin Klein. After her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette-Kennedy's relationship with her husband and her fashion sense became the subjects of media scru ...
at her wedding to
John F. Kennedy Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American lawyer, journalist, and magazine publisher. He was a son of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kenn ...
on September 21, 1996 was designed by
Narciso Rodriguez of
Cerruti. The wedding took place on
Cumberland Island in the U.S. state of
Georgia.
Design
Bessette met designer Narciso Rodriguez during her time working at
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
.
She asked Rodriguez to design her wedding dress while having drinks at The Odeon restaurant in New York City.
[ Two three-hour couture fittings for the dress took place in Paris, France. The gown was pearl-white ]silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
crêpe with a cowl décolletage.[ and beaded Manolo Blahnik strappy sandals.]bun
A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are ...
hairstyle was pinned and held by a clip which had belonged to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...
, John's mother.Rachel Lambert Mellon
Rachel Lambert Mellon (August 9, 1910 – March 17, 2014), often known as Bunny Mellon, was an American horticulturalist, gardener, philanthropist, and art collector. She designed and planted a number of significant gardens, including the Whi ...
, contained lily of the valley
Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' (), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...
.
Reception and influence
Bessette's gown was positively received by the public and fashion world alike, with women desperately shopping for wedding dresses similar to Bessette's. Alan Millstein, a fashion newsletter editor, stated " Seventh Avenue hasn't had anything like this since Princess Di's wedding."[ and as having "been noted in fashion history as breaking ground for minimalist brides".]i-D
''i-D'' is a British bimonthly magazine published by Vice Media, dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. ''i-D'' was founded by designer and former ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' art director Terry Jones (i-D), Terry Jones in 1980. The ...
'' magazine said the dress' simplicity "marked a departure from the era's voluminous princess dresses and solidified an emerging trend: the understated slip-style wedding dress".[ '']Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' said the dress "may be one of the most sought-after gowns of all time. essettehands-down changed the wedding dress game—making it acceptable and desirable to wear something refined and simple: a white silk slip rather than princess-y tulle and an embellished gown." ''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion".Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides infor ...
'' said the gown "shifted bridal fashion into a new, modernist era".
The dress launched the career of designer Narciso Rodriguez.Meghan Markle
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family and former actress. She is the wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
Meghan was ...
described Bessette's gown as "everything goals".wedding dress
A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo-Sa ...
at her wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
to Prince Harry of the United Kingdom in 2018 was likened to a formal dress Bessette-Kennedy wore in 1998,[
]
See also
* List of individual dresses
This is a list of individual dresses which are famous or otherwise notable.
Dresses worn by celebrities
* American Express Gold card dress of Lizzy Gardiner
* Black Christian Siriano gown of Billy Porter
* Black dress of Rita Hayworth
* Black G ...
References
{{reflist
Wedding dresses
1990s fashion
1996 in the United States
American fashion
Weddings in the United States
Kennedy family