Carolyn Jeanne Bessette Kennedy was an American fashion publicist who worked for Calvin Klein until her 1996 marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., son of President John F. Kennedy. Born on January 7, 1966, in White Plains, New York, she rose from a saleswoman position to become director of show productions at Calvin Klein, earning recognition as a style icon. She died on July 16, 1999, along with her husband and older sister Lauren in a plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Early Life and Family
Carolyn Jeanne Bessette was born on January 7, 1966, in White Plains, New York, the youngest of three daughters. Her father, William Joseph Bessette, was an architectural engineer who later became a cabinet-maker, and her mother, Ann Marie Messina, worked as a teacher and administrator in the New York City public school system. She had two older sisters, twins Lauren and Lisa.
Bessette’s paternal family was of French Canadian descent, tracing back to Jean Besset who arrived in Quebec during the 17th century. She was also of Lithuanian and Italian descent. Her parents divorced in 1974 when she was 8 years old.
Following the divorce, her mother remarried Richard Freeman, a prominent orthopedic surgeon, and the family relocated to Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Her father remained in White Plains. She attended Juniper Hill Elementary School in White Plains, where her mother worked as a substitute teacher.
Education
Bessette initially attended Greenwich High School but her parents transferred her to St. Mary’s because they felt she was not taking her studies seriously. She graduated from high school in 1984. While in high school, she dated John Cullen, star of Boston University’s ice hockey team who later played professional hockey in the NHL.
After graduating high school in 1983 or 1984, Bessette enrolled at Boston University’s School of Education, where she majored in elementary education. She graduated in 1988 with a degree in elementary education after four and a half years. During her time at Boston University, she briefly attempted a modeling career and appeared on the cover of the 1988 student calendar “The Girls of B.U.”.
Early Career
After college graduation, Bessette initially planned on becoming a teacher but instead took a job promoting nightclubs in Boston. She also worked in publicity and marketing for several Boston nightclubs. Exploring her interest in fashion, she took a position as a saleswoman at a Calvin Klein store in the Chestnut Hill Mall near Boston at age 24.
While working at the Boston Calvin Klein store, Bessette was noticed by a traveling sales coordinator for the company who recommended her to Susan Sokol, president of Calvin Klein Collection. Sokol was impressed with Bessette’s confidence, intelligence, grace, and impeccable style.
Calvin Klein Career
Bessette was offered a position at Calvin Klein’s New York City location working with high-profile clients. In this role, she assisted celebrity clients at the brand’s showroom and flagship store in Manhattan, tending to famous clients including Annette Bening, Diane Sawyer, and Faye Dunaway. Executives at Calvin Klein noted that she seemed to fit right in among the VIPs.
She worked her way up through the ranks at Calvin Klein over seven years. She was eventually promoted to director of publicity and then to director of show productions. In her final role, she oversaw Calvin Klein’s fall and spring fashion shows, red carpet styling, celebrity relations, and media strategy. By the time she left Calvin Klein, she was earning a salary in the low six figures.
Bessette quit her job at Calvin Klein in March 1996, just months before her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr.. She had sold millions of dollars worth of clothes during her tenure with the company.
Meeting John F. Kennedy Jr.
Bessette met her future husband, John F. Kennedy Jr., through her work at Calvin Klein’s New York location. They first met in 1992 when she was working in publicity with VIP clientele at Calvin Klein. Kennedy Jr. was a customer at the store, and their professional relationship eventually developed into a romantic one.
Marriage
Carolyn Bessette married John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996. Kennedy Jr. was an attorney and publisher, as well as the son of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The marriage brought Bessette into one of America’s most famous families and placed her under intense public scrutiny.
Public Life and Style Icon Status
Following her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette Kennedy’s life and fashion sense became subjects of intense media scrutiny. She was considered a style icon and trendsetter, known for her elegant yet minimalist aesthetic. Her sophisticated and understated fashion choices influenced style trends during the 1990s.
Death
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy died on July 16, 1999, in a plane crash off the western coast of Martha’s Vineyard. She was 33 years old at the time of her death. Her husband John F. Kennedy Jr. was piloting a light aircraft when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Her older sister Lauren Bessette was also aboard the aircraft and died in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident included haze and the dark night conditions.
Legacy
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s life has been the subject of books, documentaries, and continued media interest. She has been both mythologized and scrutinized, praised for her elegance and style while remaining an enigmatic figure. Her influence on fashion and her brief but highly publicized life as a member of the Kennedy family have cemented her status as a cultural icon of the 1990s.