Fashion / Fashion News

In love with Carolyn Bessett Kennedy’s style? You can now shop from her vault…

Some care for JFK. At RUSSH, we're enamoured by CBK. We've followed the late Carolyn Bessett Kennedy's style journey for some time. With a legacy that's proven unmatched against the onslaught of trends and fashion cycles, Kennedy's eye has nurtured a whole pantheon of 'quiet luxury' dressers well into our current year. With a staunch no-logo approach and an aversion to punchy prints, she prioritised sharp, form-fitting silhouettes and an endless scrim of black and beige. CBK was every inch the First Lady heiress apparent.

The 2023 book by Sunita Kumar Nair, CBK: A Life in Fashion marked decades of timeless haute fashion. And now, pieces featured in its manuscript might be available for purchase. The wardrobe of the former PR Publicist of Calvin Klein turned wife of John F. Kennedy Jr. has gone up for sale under New York Auction House Bonhams.

 

What is the article of clothing up for auction?

The black silk wrap trench dress  is a Yohji Yamamoto number from the designer’s spring/summer 1998 collection. The garment includes a multilayered collar and lapel, a black silk adjustable waist tie and trench cuffing details. Bessette Kennedy's dress was worn to dinner in 1998 at the Supper Club and then a performance from the Parsons Dance Company afterward.

The dress belonged to Bessette Kennedy's longtime confidante Sasha Chermayeff. Chermayeff was considered an intimate friend, and even named Carolyn and JFK Jr. as godparents.

 

When will the auction commence?

In June, New York auction house Bonhams will include a dress worn by Bessette-Kennedy in an online fashion sale, marking the first time any of her clothing is being auctioned. The item, is currently listed on Bonhams’ website.

 

How much will the dress go for?

Given Bessette Kennedy's affinity for quiet luxury and the rising demand for its aesthetic, her Yohji Yamamoto dress might be exorbitant in price. Marissa Speer, head of Bonhams Handbags & Fashion Department has estimated the dress to be worth as much as $20,000.

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