The late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who became director of publicity for Calvin Klein before she met and married John F. Kennedy Jr., was a '90s fashion icon. In 1999, she and her husband tragically passed away in a plane crash. During her years as a public figure, Carolyn popularized a "throwaway-chic" style that was particularly emblematic of its time: minimalistic, unfussy, high-low (mixing expensive and inexpensive items), and personally expressive.
Carolyn was a very private person and refused offers to be featured in fashion magazines, although she increasingly appeared with her husband at various public events over the years. There was intense media coverage of her life and relationship—which Carolyn didn't enjoy or seek out—but it did endear an entire generation to her extremely chic style, which still has resonance today. We found 32 gorgeous, candid photos of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy that contextualize her life—and looks—in new ways.
