S Poddar
A quarter of a century has passed since Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, her husband John F. Kennedy Jr., and sister Laura died in that fateful plane crash off Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Yet the fascination with this enigmatic woman does not ebb. Two new books try to flesh out the life of this fashion icon, and in many ways only deepen the mystery.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was so much more than a namesake to the Kennedy dynasty—she was a style icon, a languidly elegant woman who captured millions of hearts. It was she, with her signature minimalist aesthetic characterized by clean lines and subdued elegance that defined the fashion sense of a generation. Indeed, social media is still full of posts in admiration to her timeless style, proving that she still wows.
But behind the fair-faced facade of this poised, polished woman was a very complicated person battling the pressures of fame and the weight of a high-profile relationship. RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil, plus Maureen Callahan, are among those with new books that aim to reveal the layers beneath the enigma.
The “JFK Jr.” of Terenzio and McNeil allows readers a view of Bessette-Kennedy not commonly regarded as part of her personality. Before she married a Kennedy, she was a young lady living in New York City, trying to make it big. According to friends and colleagues, she was vivacious, independent, and loved to party hard. She went to clubs regularly and did smoke, never shying away from the bright lights of the city’s nightlife.
It highlights, however, her coming into the limelight brought immense pressure upon Bessette-Kennedy. The media glare, the unending curiosity of the public eye, and the burden of the Kennedys did crack her down. It was not what is shown in this varnished portrait presented to the world.
In “Ask Not,” Maureen Callahan dissects the darker aspect of the Kennedy family. Her vivid painting of their lives is not at all glamorous. While it is so critically analytical regarding the Kennedy dynasty, on Bessette-Kennedy, it is much sensationalized, with very little subtlety. It’s hard to know what fact and what’s fiction in a narrative so full of scandal as it is about truth.
The truth is, we may never know Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The lady who waltzed into the mind of a zeitgeist is more or less an illusive character, shrouded by tragedy. Perhaps that’s part of the reason we continue to find her fascinating. Amidst oversharing and instant gratification, the secrecy that enveloped Bessette-Kennedy in her life only becomes more remarkable—and captivating.
As we remember her on the 25th anniversary of her death, let us not forget she was more than being a fashion icon or even a tragic figure. She had lived life like an individual who has experienced things before her untimely death. Her personal life may be difficult to unknot, but certainly her effect on fashion and culture cannot be denied.
The legacy that Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy left behind is that of proof one can still be surrounded by mystery and intrigue, even in this age of social media. A lady so far ahead of her time, she exuded style and grace that continues to capture generations’ imagination.
