Hailey Bieber has taken another trip into Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s famously minimalist wardrobe, stepping out in London wearing a dress closely associated with the late style icon.
The model attended an event at Harry’s Bar on Tuesday night in a plunging vintage midi dress originally created by designer Narciso Rodriguez. The look was first worn by Bessette Kennedy to her rehearsal dinner ahead of her 1996 wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr., and it has remained one of the most recognisable pieces from that wedding weekend.
Bieber and stylist Dani Michelle sourced the vintage dress through My Runway Archive. The retailer has made clear that the piece is not the exact dress worn by Bessette Kennedy, but it is based on the same design.
Rodriguez originally developed the look while consulting for Cerruti, where he was designing alongside Bessette Kennedy as a major muse. He later presented a version of the dress in his third Cerruti collection in 1997, using a completely sheer fishnet technique decorated with nude caviar beads. A nude satin slip was added for Bessette Kennedy’s wedding-weekend version.
Rodriguez also designed Bessette Kennedy’s actual wedding dress, cementing a relationship that would become an important part of her fashion legacy.
Exactly what happened to many of Bessette Kennedy’s clothes after her death in 1999 remains unclear. Some of her most recognisable pieces have appeared at auction, while other personal belongings are believed to have remained with her family.
The dress also has another famous connection. Kate Moss wore the design in a memorable Cerruti advertising campaign. Moss had first met Rodriguez while he was working at Calvin Klein, where Bessette Kennedy helped bring the model into the brand’s orbit.
For Bieber, the reference is hardly accidental. Her wardrobe has repeatedly drawn from Bessette Kennedy’s pared-back 1990s style, from simple tailoring to slip dresses and understated accessories.
Earlier this year, Bieber also recreated a sheer iridescent lace gown originally worn by Kelly Klein in 1992. Klein was a close friend of Bessette Kennedy, making the latest look another link in Bieber’s ongoing fascination with one of fashion’s most enduring style figures.
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Last modified: October 8, 2026
