Fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez has lifted the lid on how he came up with the concept for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s iconic wedding dress – revealing “she was the inspiration”.
Narciso Rodriguez has explained how he came up with the concert for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s iconic wedding dress.
The 65-year-old fashion designer worked with Carolyn at Calvin Klein in the years before he set up his own label and he was tasked with creating a special gown for his friend when she tied the knot with John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996 – and he’s now revealed the simple design was inspired by the bride herself.
He told New York Magazine: “She was the inspiration for the dress. We talked about something that wasn’t fussy. I tried to pin her down and sketch with me several times, but she wouldn’t. She always had a reason to walk the dog when I brought my sketchbook over.
“I went to Paris, and I worked on a couple of gowns, and she liked how I was making those kinds of dresses. She pulled the neckline down, and that was it.
“It was really such a simple meeting of the minds. We knew each other so well, and she was so gorgeous, I knew what to accentuate …”
He added: “It was such a labor of love. It was such a personal thing that I worked on – working on the gloves and the veil and all the details to make it perfect for her.”
When asked if he felt any “pressure” designing a wedding dress for such a high profile wedding, Narciso replied: “I felt no pressure because I was making the dress for my best friend, and I never thought beyond that.”
Carolyn’s wedding dress has become a source of inspiration for other brides over the last 30 years and the designer believes the gown’s simplicity is the reason for the design’s widespread popularity.
He explained: “It’s like the most special day in your life, and you want to look amazing – why do you have all that [usual wedding] regalia on? It’s so heavy and you can’t move and you can’t dance and it’s hot. That’s the opposite of what you want to feel …
“Carolyn said to me that I create a frame for a woman’s personality and beauty to shine. And I love that.”
Narciso Rodriguez shared inspiration for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s wedding dress
