FX’s Love Story is bringing back the nostalgia of JFK Jr. and Bessette’s romance – but what has her friend Narciso Rodriguez said about her?
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s timeless romance captivated the world in the 1990s. Now, a whole new generation is obsessing over the couple, thanks to FX’s Love Story.
Love Story, starring Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly, was executive produced by Ryan Murphy. Photo: FX via AP
The first season of the show, executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, focuses on the pair’s dizzying relationship unfolding under intense media scrutiny. It stars Tony-nominated actress Sarah Pidgeon as fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette and breakout talent Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr, son of former US president John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who worked as a lawyer and publisher.
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John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette were always in headlines. Photo: Liaison
Tragically, John-John and his wife passed away in a plane crash in 1999, only three years after tying the knot in 1996. Now, friends of the blonde beauty are saying there’s more to her than portrayed in the show.
Carolyn Bessette used to work for Calvin Klein. Photo: Getty Images
Fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez, who was friends with Bessette and designed her custom US$40,000 wedding gown, said she was “strong. Authentic. Incredibly beautiful. And quite complex”, per Page Six. He told Vogue that they became close while working at Calvin Klein together and were neighbours. At one point, they even lived together in his flat.
Narciso Rodriguez, winner of the lifetime achievement award, poses in the winner’s walk at the CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in June 2018, in New York. Photo: AP
Recalling the process of creating the dress for her special day, the 65-year-old, who was mentored by Oscar de la Renta at the Parsons School of Design, told Page Six, “It was a very personal experience,” adding that Bessette “knew what she wanted”. Out of the dresses he proposed, the then bride-to-be picked an “architectural” piece. “She pulled the neckline down, and a dress was born,” Rodriguez shared. Speaking to Vogue, he mused, “It was the love of my life marrying the love of her life, and so it was a very heartfelt, emotional time.”
