There’s a scene in Ryan Murphy’s new anthology series, “Love Story,” where Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, played by Sarah Pidgeon, pitches model Kate Moss for the 1992 Calvin Klein underwear ad.
Looking at Moss’ headshot, Bessette-Kennedy tells Klein, “She’s guarded, elusive. She’s not trying to sell you anything or ham it up for the camera. She’s letting you in just enough cause she knows better not to give it all way.”
The remark carried a certain irony, given that Bessette, the late wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., famously avoided the public eye and unintentionally became the muse for ’90s minimalism.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy attending Municipal Art Society Gala at Grand Central.
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Between her messy buns, muddy blond coloring and makeup-free complexion, Bessette-Kennedy’s beauty was, and still is, revered for its simplicity. Her hair, specifically, reflected “a shift away from overly constructed beauty toward authenticity,” celebrity stylist Marcos Diaz told WWD.
“The cuts were clean, minimal and tailored to her natural texture, which allowed movement to feel organic rather than styled. Soft bends, natural volume and understated polish created a sense of quiet luxury that feels very relevant again today,” Diaz continued. “There was a restraint to her look that made it modern then and still modern now.”
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy on the street in New York.
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Bessette-Kennedy often flip-flopped between air-dryed waves and blowouts. She was also an avid fan of low ponies and messy buns, which she regularly wore with tortoise headbands and French hair pins from C.O. Bigelow, a centuries-old apothecary situated in the heart of the West Village.
The color of her hair was a bit more convoluted than the styles she kept. A melting pot of platinum, gold and toffee, the composition was crafted by renowned colorist Brad Johns, who also worked with Moss and Christy Turlington.
Viewers were quick to point out the inaccuracy in Pidgeon’s hair when the first on-set images of her and Paul Kelly, who play Kennedy Jr. in the series, were revealed in June 2025. But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy arrive for reception at the Whitney Museum.
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Contrary to popular belief, Bessette-Kennedy was popularizing the “no makeup-makeup philosophy” long before Pamela Anderson and Hailey Bieber were considered the original pioneers with bare complexions and naked eyes. Only on the occasional night out would the former publicist embellish her features by blushing her lips in a ruby red hue — sometimes glossy, sometimes matte. Even her brows, the quintessential ’90s skinny brow, were left untouched.
“Carolyn’s makeup was simple yet polished, there was a luxury in her look,” makeup artist Mary Wiles told WWD. “It was different to today’s no makeup beauty looks that lean toward contour and natural tones with features being more enhanced than the ’90s. “She always looked like she had pulled her self together with no thought, washed her face and put a lick of lipstick on heading for the door, effortlessly effective,” Wiled continued.
