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Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has become a fashion icon to a whole new generation of young women almost three decades after her untimely death, aged 33, thanks to Ryan Murphy’s hit drama Love Story.
Now, fans can recreate her effortlessly chic and minimalist style from none other than M&S.
While Carolyn loved Prada clothes, carried a Birkin and worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein, those with more modest budgets can emulate her ‘quiet luxury’ wardrobe with a £26 white shirt and a £20 black tote bag from the high street giant.
Branded the ’90s Edit’, the capsule collection is marketed as a ‘nostalgic and wearable’ collection that signals a ‘renewed appreciation for the enduring appeal of 90s style’.
While the edit, where ‘pared-back polish meets understated cool’, makes no reference to Carolyn or Disney+ drama Love Story, there’s a heavy hint as to who inspired it.
Campaign shots featuring a willowy blonde model appear to replicate some of the most famous snatched photos of Carolyn strolling through the streets of New York in her signature camel coat, loafers and a black headband.
She’s accompanied in some images by a male model, holding her hand or pushing a bike – perhaps a nod to ‘America’s Prince’, John F Kennedy Jr , the other half of New York’s ultimate It couple of the 1990s.
When M&S shared shots on Instagram with the advice ‘Bag your favourites now, move to NYC later’, it sent fans of Love Story, which has attracted millions of viewers on both sides of the Atlantic, into a frenzy.
‘Oh I see what you did here,’ one said, while another complimented the ‘clever’ marketing team.
M&S has launched a new ’90s edit’, where ‘pared-back polish meets understated cool’. While it makes no reference to Caroline Bessette-Kennedy Ryan Murphy’s show Love Story, there’s a heavy hint as to who inspired it
The former Calvin Klein publicist was known for her effortlessly chic and minimalist style
On TikTok, M&S has been more direct about its muse for the collection, sharing a video tutorial on how to style a black jacket like Carolyn Besette Kennedy.
Standout pieces include a Pure Cotton Girlfriend Shirt. Carolyn famously elevated a white shirt into evening wear when she paired it with a floor-skimming tiered skirt for a black-tie gala at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
M&S’ £26 dupe also pairs equally well with dark wash denim jeans or a black silk skirt from the new collection.
The high street hero has also recreated Carolyn’s denim collection including a kick flare, cropped style, as well as bootcut jeans that retail for £38 and £26 respectively.
Carolyn’s fondness for classic outerwear is well-documented, and M&S’s new collection comes equipped with a lightweight, camel-coloured car coat for £70 – currently the brand’s number one bestseller.
Finally, there’s a spin on some of Carolyn’s favourite accessories – including cat eye sunglasses and headbands – to round out the collection.
Sarah Pidgeon’s portrayal of Carolyn has sparked a wave of copycat looks across the high street, with Uniqlo and Massimo Dutti also promoting their own edits.
Carolyn’s gilded life came to an end in July 1999 in a plane crash that also killed her husband JFK Jr and her sister Lauren.
