Wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Kennedy on her marriage to Aristotle Onassis
John F. Kennedy Jr’s signature tuxedo, suit and overcoat
Los Angeles – Bonhams Classic Luxury: Style Icons presents a collection of outfits owned and worn by Jacqueline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., in an online sale taking place on 16-26 September. It is the first time the significant outfits have been offered at auction.
Lots include a Valentino wedding dress worn and owned by the first lady of fashion, Jacqueline Kennedy (1929-1994) on her nuptials to Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis (1906-1975) in 1968. It is offered with an estimate of US$8,000-12,000.
The sale also includes a Calvin Klein tuxedo, Calvin Klein suit and black tie and Giorgio Armani overcoat, circa 1990, all worn and owned by John F. Kennedy Jr (1960-1999), the famous son of President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Offered individually with estimates of US$2,000-3,000.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding to Onassis took place on the private Greek island of Skorpios, where true to her timeless elegance, she simply styled the dress with a bow in her bouffant hair. Valentino designed the two-piece outfit for his Spring/Summer 1968 haute couture collection where the lace bodice floated over a dress with a pleated skirt. The elegant Valentino ivory lace ensemble became an immediate worldwide sensation, for all brides of the swinging Sixties with its knee-length pleated skirt, mock turtleneck and long bishop sleeves. The dress heading to auction, signifies a pivotal moment in fashion marking Jacqueline Kennedy’s transition from Queen of Camelot into ‘Jackie O’.
John F Kennedy Jr’s Calvin Klein tuxedo and Calvin Klein suit and black tie are significant not only as they showcase JFK Jr’s signature style of wearing black suits and bow ties, but the outfits are an important moment in history, having been purchased from Calvin Klein while Carolyn Bessette Kennedy worked there as a publicist. The couple first met in the VIP fitting room at Calvin Klein in 1992 and went on to marry in 1996. The strikingly handsome JFK Jr. was regularly seen wearing the Giorgio Armani coat, also on offer, around New York. He was a popular social figure until his untimely death in 1999 and 25 years on, he continues to garner interest across the globe and increasingly his style is coveted among menswear afficionados.
Marissa Speer, Bonhams Head of Sale for Handbags & Fashion, US commented: “It is a rare privilege to be able to present Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress worn on her marriage to Aristotle Onassis and John F. Kennedy Jr’s outfits; a tuxedo, suit and overcoat in the same sale. The Kennedys are without question, one of the most prominent families in modern American history. Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1968 couture ensemble is not only an important piece of fashion history marking the emergence of one of the most stylish women in the world – Jackie O – but it also showcases an important design in maison Valentino’s history. The outfits come with an exceptional provenance: JFK Jr’s from close friend Sasha Chermayeff, and Jackie O’s wedding dress: owned by a couple who worked on the famous yacht ‘Christina’. Jackie Onassis and the couple became friends resulting in the dress being gifted to them following her passing in 1994. It has remained in their possession ever since."
