I felt desperate for something calming amid the humming overload of winter weather, the relentless news cycle and social media churn. In search of an oasis, I recently found myself at a small New York gallery hosting an exhibit of clothes from the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
Items from her wardrobe were on auction through March 3, coinciding with the “Love Story” series on FX and Hulu about John F. Kennedy Jr.’s romance and marriage to Bessette that ended tragically when the couple died in a small plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999.
My daughter is in the fashion industry and we share a hobby of seeking out fashion exhibits together, taking in the design and the discipline of well-made garments.
Most exhibits I’ve seen include dozens of pieces that demonstrate depth, document a design period and feel out of reach. Bessette Kennedy was an exception. It featured not so many garments but represented the late 1990s well, with a few extremely well-made minimalist pieces. The beautiful stitching and materials in the camel-colored coats and simple black-and-white clothes were refreshing.
The simple aesthetic of the clothes literally jolted me back to a time, not all that long ago, when things were quieter and simpler. I attribute this difference to the lack of mobile phones.
The collection auctioneer, Lucy Bishop, said Carolyn’s time and fashion simplicity is of huge interest right now. “Speaking from a more historical perspective,” she noted, “it typically takes about 20 years for enough time to pass for historians, museums and collectors to begin re-examining a period, so in that regard, the auction has come to exist at exactly the right time.”
Bishop said several pieces of Carolyn’s clothes were loaned to the costume team for the show, and this ratcheted interest in revisiting JFK Jr.’s outwardly quiet wife who shunned publicity, a novel concept in today’s society known for oversharing.
Four of the garments are from Bessette Kennedy’s wardrobe and have been carefully preserved. The others are pieces she wore from designers of the day.
You could own your own piece of ‘90s tranquility. The auction is online and Bishop assured that anyone can register to bid, “providing they have the financial means to participate.”
You might not be able to go back in time exactly, but looking at the stylish clothes provides a link to the past for those interested in owning a bit of time travel. You can sign up for the auction on Instagram at @the_fashion_auctioneer.
Spending just an hour in the company of this time capsule had me thinking about how I would love a vintage camel coat to remind me to put my phone down and focus on one thing at a time.
A bygone value, yes, but a calming one.