Critics worry Ryan Murphy's new show fails to capture Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style

NBC News

4 hours ago

A Ryan Murphy production rarely arrives without controversy — and this time, the backlash involves a mis-sized Birkin bag.
Murphy's production company this month unveiled camera test photos, and video, of the highly anticipated FX series 'American Love Story' about the tragic romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
The images from the show, which started filming in New York City this month and is set to be released in February, gave audiences their first look at how actors Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly portray the 'it' couple, who married in 1996 and died in a plane crash three years later.
Only a handful of the costumes were previewed in the online teasers. But many people online appeared outraged by the depiction, calling the style choices a far cry from the iconic fashion that Bessette-Kennedy, who was a former publicist that worked for Calvin Klein, was known for.
'Pure crime against fashion,' a person wrote June 13 on Instagram. Another commented: '1995 styling with 2025 offerings is INSANE work. Back to the drawing board, I beg.'
The criticism focused on Pidgeon's outfit in the photos. For some, the boxy brown coat, cropped trousers and empty No. 35 Birkin bag were a deviation from Bessette-Kennedy's signature stuffed-to-the-brim No. 40 designer bag and high-quality minimalist style that made her one of the most notable fashion icons of the 1990s. Other photos and a test video show Pidgeon in a faux leather jacket, a midi silk skirt and Converse.
'The details matter here as she used her image to control the narrative,' said Jack Sehnert, the vice president of international design at Steve Madden and creator of an Instagram account devoted to the style icon, @carolynbessette. 'They could have rummaged eBay for a month or two to find references & originals to make recreations for Sarah.'
Others in the fashion world noticed, too. The Cut called the wardrobe choices fast-fashion knockoffs of the high designer style associated with Bessette-Kennedy, and questioned why it seems Murphy's team did not pull straight from fashion archives.
Diet Prada, an Instagram account with 3.4 million followers that is known for calling out fashion brands, also posted about the images. In the comments, celebrity stylist Erica Cloud wrote, 'all of this is a no,' and Vogue contributing editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson stressed that while the 'silhouettes look the same. … Zara is very different from vintage Calvin, Narciso, Jil. ... send help.'
Others fixated on Pidgeon's platinum blonde hair, which Bessette-Kennedy's colorist told NBC News looked more like a 'Halloween wig' than his former client's signature neutral-warm 'toffee' blonde.
'If they are using that white wig, that's not me. That's not a replica of my work,' said Brad Johns, a celebrity colorist who took Bessette-Kennedy's natural light-brown hair to blonde with a 'chunking' highlighting technique. 'If she saw that hair color on TV, she would be swirling in heaven.'
A representative for Murphy and FX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The backlash prompted Murphy to clarify that the first looks were merely shot for lighting and color tests and do not represent the finalized costumes for either character. In a recent interview with Variety, he said the camera test images were released early to pre-empt paparazzi leaks and called the release a 'mistake.'
'If I ever do something like that again, I have to put a warning label on the top of the caption, explaining to people what the process is,' Murphy said.
He added that the production is committed to nailing authenticity and has a dedicated 10-person 'style advisory board' to help reference and source Bessette-Kennedy's wardrobe. The show also has Bessette‑Kennedy's items, including her iconic Prada boots, and it is crafting a replica of her 1996 wedding dress. He also said that in the test photos, Pidgeon was wearing a wig.
Still, Murphy said he was surprised by the negative comments.
'There were comments like, 'I hate that coat, Carolyn would never have worn that,'' he said. 'That was just a coat we threw on for color. People were writing, 'How dare you use the No. 35 Birkin bag? She wore a 40!' Yes, we have a 40, but we just threw on a bag from another costume department because that was the sound stage we were on.'
The stakes, however, remain high. Unlike other biopic subjects, Bessette-Kennedy did not write a memoir or frequently speak to the media, and her public life was meticulously curated like her clothing. Her image lives on almost exclusively through paparazzi photos — photos that have been dissected and cataloged for a generation of fashion aficionados.
'The real issue here is that she wore too few outfits publicly over a very small period of time in the spotlight,' Sehnert said in an email, noting that her clothing became her public identity because she did not speak to the media. 'Her image lives on so prominently that any outfits that were not direct recreations were bound to disappoint.'
The mythology around Bessette-Kennedy grew after she died in 1999 in a plane crash with JFK Jr. and her sister, elevating her from fashion 'it' girl to America's Princess Diana. Today, social media accounts like Sehnert's, which boasts almost 64,000 followers, are dedicated to Bessette-Kennedy. In the era of 'quiet luxury,' her minimalist, no-label style carries even great cultural weight.
'Carolyn, unlike her contemporary Lady Di, lives in our memory in a handful of classic outfits,' Sehnert said. 'You cannot simply exchange one camel coat with another here, because we only saw her in ONE.'
Sehnert said that because of Bessette-Kennedy's fashion influence, he thinks it's 'fantastic that any entirely new generation is placing her style on a pedestal' and speaking out about the initial 'American Love Story' photos.
'Unfortunately, the public and press were not kind to [Bessette-Kennedy] during her short life, so at least she continues to garner respect in death,' he said. 'It's fabulous to see the effort & careful curation of her wardrobe inspire so many 26 years later. For better or worse, her poise under intense scrutiny & wardrobe choices are her legacy.'
In an Instagram story after the stills were unveiled, JFK Jr.'s nephew Jack Schlossberg did not weigh on the fashion choices and said the Kennedy family was not consulted on the series.
'Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man,' he said, according to Entertainment Weekly, which reported on the story Thursday before it disappeared from Schlossberg's feed. 'For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with the new show being made about him, the answer is no, and there's really not much we can do.'
But the initial 'American Love Story' costume disappointment has not yet deterred fans or even some of the biggest Bessette-Kennedy admirers.