Never has so simple an outfit caused such an uproar.
Last weekend, a first look at Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series “American Love Story,” set to focus on the romance between the late John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who died in a plane crash in August 1999, dropped online. Actress Sarah Pidgeon, who is set to portray Bessette-Kennedy, was pictured in a number of outfits that, at first glance, seemed reminiscent of looks that are routinely referenced by designers and dissected on social media: A brown leather coat, a black Hermès Birkin bag, a white button-down tucked into a pair of kick flare denim, accessorised with a tortoiseshell headband.
But the near-instant online consensus was that the execution was way, way off.
“GOD AWFUL STYLING. START OVER COMPLETELY,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
“Her wardrobe is historic. Please source it correctly,” added another. “CBK’s fans want to support this movie, but you have to get the clothes right.” Criticism wasn’t reserved just for the clothes: Brad Johns, Bessette-Kennedy’s hair colourist, told Vogue that the platinum blonde shade Pidgeon sported was “totally wrong.”
Many social media users argued that the photos showed a version of minimalism that felt like it could have been plucked off the rack at Zara in 2025, encouraging the costume designers to source archival pieces for a more authentic look. And because CBK’s wardrobe was so simple, prioritising sharp tailoring and high-quality fabrics over trends, without any embellishments to hide behind, poorly-made imitations are obvious.
Fan outcry shouldn’t completely dictate decisions, for the simple reason that nuance is often lost online. Murphy, for example, told Variety earlier this week that the images were simply camera tests, released to ward off paparazzi from stalking the set, and weren’t representative of what Pidgeon would actually be wearing in character.
But the size of the reaction underscores just how important it is to get costuming right today. While the conversation certainly contributes to buzz around the show, it’s also put off Bessette-Kennedy’s most devoted fans, who the production will need to build hype before it premieres on Valentine’s Day next year.
“Love Story” was inevitably going to be the source of online conversation fodder, thanks to its near-perfect timing. Not only has there been a recent resurgence of interest in the couple, the rise in “quiet luxury” and minimalist fashion in particular has reignited interest in Bessette-Kennedy’s — CBK to her fans — style.
A publicist for Calvin Klein during the brand’s heyday, she’s long been regarded as the platonic ideal of 1990s fashion, remembered for her affinity for designers like Prada and Yohji Yamamoto and her ability to make anything, from her sleek Narcisco Rodriguez wedding gown to the L.L. Bean boat and totes she carted around Martha’s Vineyard, feel chic. Today, designers like Carolina Herrera’s Wes Gordon cite her as a muse; on TikTok, a new generation born after her death has more recently fallen in love with her style.
Her wardrobe is easily recognisable and often imitated, but because the famously press-shy Bessette-Kennedy did no formal interviews, her clothes were also her primary form of communication with the public. You can’t tell her story without the visuals that go along with it.
Costumes play a hugely important role in developing a show’s inner world, but they’re especially important when the project in question is about a person, or even a period in history, that’s synonymous with a certain look. “Mad Men,” for instance, channeled the 1960s not just through period-appropriate suits and dresses, but also countless little details, from jewellery to hats and hairstyles. That attention to detail helped develop the story and turn the show into a cultural phenomenon, with countless blogs and books devoted to dissecting each episode’s style choices.
Love Story’s ambitions are in some ways greater than Mad Men’s: Not only is it set during a distinct period in sartorial history, but unlike Mad Men, it’s recent enough for most viewers to clearly remember, and is about real people to boot.
It’s a challenging assignment, but not an impossible one. Much of the final two seasons of Netflix’s “The Crown” centred on Princess Diana. Costume designers Amy Roberts and Sidonie Roberts put Elizabeth Debicki and Emma Corrin, the actresses who played the royal, in near-exact recreations of some of Diana’s best-remembered looks, including her so-called “revenge dress” and her mockneck Harvard sweatshirt and bike shorts. Doing so helped bring her character to life and gave the entire production a realistic feel.
Still, costume designers shouldn’t feel they must stick exclusively to recreations. Part of the appeal of these shows is that viewers get a chance to see an imagined version of the moments in their lives that weren’t photographed. Finding new looks that feel true to the time and the person is equally important.
“Love Story” has only just started filming, so there’s still time to course correct. In looking to get it right, costume designers should not just go for run-of-the-mill minimalism, but CBK’s distinct flavour of it. Murphy, for his part, told Variety that he’s assembled a 10-person “style advisory board” to consult on the fashion, and they already have plenty of 1990s Prada bags and Manolo Blahniks available.
There are plenty of connoisseurs available to consult, from those operating accounts dedicated to Bessette-Kennedy’s style on Instagram to author Sunita Kumar Nair, who spent years researching the very topic for her 2023 book “CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion.”
As well, her well-documented love of certain designers can provide a strong starting point. Working more formally with Calvin Klein, for instance, would make sense on both sides — the show could tap the brand’s archive for historically-accurate pieces, while the brand could get a marketing boost as it continues the revival of its Calvin Klein Collection label. Doing so can help provide credibility: For its series “The New Look” about the life of Christian Dior, Apple TV worked with Dior on the costumes, gaining access to the house’s archives. Though the show received criticism, the clothes were a high point.
At the very least, scouring The RealReal’s selection of vintage Prada is a good place to start.
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
FASHION, BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY
Kering shares surged as Renault CEO became set to join for its turnaround. Stock rose 8.3 percent in early Paris trading as the Gucci owner prepared to appoint Luca de Meo as its next CEO, with Francois-Henri Pinault reportedly remaining as chairman.
US retail sales posted their biggest drop in four months. Despite the 0.9 percent decline in overall retail sales last month, clothing sales rose 0.8 percent.
Nike delayed the launch for its new brand with Kim Kardashian’s Skims. The NikeSkims launch has been pushed from its initial anticipated spring release due to production delays, but Nike still expects to release the collaborative brand’s products sometime this year, Bloomberg reported.
Victoria’s Secret faced a fresh activist fight from Barington Capital. The New York-based hedge fund will push to replace most or all of the lingerie brand’s board of directors and stop the “poison pill” shareholder’s rights plan that was recently adopted to protect it from hostile takeovers.
Lululemon announced it will cut 150 corporate employees after a review. “Following a recent review, we have decided to evolve some aspects of our organizational structure to operate with more agility and further invest in our growth,” a representative said in a statement. The affected roles are in customer support centres.
Japan’s Asics will boost India-based sportswear production to 40 percent. The 10 percent manufacturing boost will take place over the next few years. The sportswear brand is scouting locations in Delhi and Mumbai to open its first brick-and-mortar store in the country.
Temu’s US sales plunged 25 percent amid a tariff barrage. Temu’s year-on-year sales plummeted over 25 percent in the period from May 11 to June 8, while other e-commerce platforms, including those run by Shein and Walmart, have started to see single-digit growth.
Eytys returned from bankruptcy. Co-founder Max Schiller will relaunch the cult Stockholm-based label, which launched in 2013 and filed for bankruptcy in January, after securing funding from a group of investors that included his brother, Acne Studios co-owner Mikael Schiller, who will serve as chairman.
Dôen raised Series A funding led by Silas Capital. The California-based apparel brand’s first significant capital infusion, whose financial terms were not disclosed, will go towards retail expansion, operational infrastructure and marketing.
Clothing retailer Dynamite raised prices 9 percent amid trade tensions. The fast-fashion retailer’s stock rose as much as 18 percent after CEO Andrew Lutfy announced it would also raise prices at twice the rate of inflation in the foreseeable future.
THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY
Coty shares surged on a report the company is looking to sell off units. Stock jumped as much as 13 percent after it was reported the cosmetics and perfume company is in the process of selling its luxury and consumer divisions as separate entities.
Mike Ashley’s Frasers dropped out of a bid for Revolution Beauty. After previously announcing it was considering an all-cash offer for Revolution, Frasers Group announced on Thursday it would not make an offer for the embattled British cosmetics group.
PEOPLE
Francesco Risso exited Marni. The Italian designer is stepping down after 10 years as the Italian luxury brand’s creative director.
Ben Gorham will exit Byredo. Gorham, who founded the Stockholm-based fragrance brand in 2006, will step away at the end of June, two years after Puig took over the company. His exit marks the completion of Puig’s integration.
Bata Group named Panos Mytaros as its new CEO. Mytaros will succeed the global footwear group’s current chief executive, Sandeep Kataria, in September. Previously, Mytaros served as CEO of Danish footwear brand Ecco from 2021 until last year.
Asos CFO will depart after just 14 months. Director of group finance Aaron Izzard will succeed Dave Murray after he steps down on June 30. Murray, a former Amazon executive, had joined Asos in April 2024. Izzard has been with the company for eight years.
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
AI personal shopping tool Alta raised $11 million. The funding, whose round was led by early stage venture capital firm Menlo Ventures and included participation from the Arnault family-backed investment firm Aglaé Ventures, will help the AI-native tool accelerate product development, grow its engineering and operations teams and expand its AI capabilities.
Compiled by Jessica Kwon.
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