Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy: The MENA Edit
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy walked so The Row could run, we reinterpret her 90s minimalism through designers from the MENA region.
Before “quiet luxury” became shorthand, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had already established a way of dressing defined by restraint.
The 1990s oscillated between logomania and Versace excess, with a strain of minimalism pushing in the opposite direction. Bessette-Kennedy, who spent seven years at Calvin Klein, rising from sales director to head of public relations, was shaped by a house built on the idea that less could carry more weight.
Sunita Kumar Nair, author of a book widely regarded as the definitive account of her style, described Bessette-Kennedy’s white shirts as her “magnum opus in simplicity”, each untucked hem and open collar calibrated for proportion and balance.
It was also widely reported that she asked for labels to be removed from pieces she bought — Prada among them — stripping her wardrobe of visible branding and any association beyond the clothes themselves.
She has returned to the cultural conversation through Love Story, which traces her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr. and, by its fifth episode, had become the network’s most-watched limited series.
In this edit, we ask what would it look like if her principles; precision, neutrality, the long line, the considered fabric, the single deliberate detail - were expressed entirely through designers from our region?
The White Shirt Uniform
Bouguessa | Signature Shirt Few pieces defined Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wardrobe like the perfectly cut white shirt. Bouguessa’s Signature Shirt is made of crisp cotton, clean lines, and a silhouette that does more by doing less.
The Slip Dress
The Sharp Black Coat
The Statement Minimalist Coat
The Blazer Dress
The Cream Tailored Dress
The Leopard Flat
The Black Mule
The Off-Shoulder Knit
The Long Black Skirt
The Dark Wash Jeans
The Sculptural Earrings
The Black Sunglasses
The Brown Leather Bag
