Written by Charlotte dominy
Edited by Léah Gilbert
With the new release of Ryan Murphy’s Tv series Love Story, previously dubbed American Love Story, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her 90s minimalism has once again picked up attention, proving to be an endlessly sustainable topic of admiration in the world of fashion.
However, the first conversations surrounding the series weren’t all sunshine. When photos of Love Story’s set were first leaked to the audience, the styling of Sarah Pigeon playing Carolyn, were critiqued for the cheap fabrics, ill fits, and seemingly the lack of care put towards a show where the wardrobe was debatably the most important part. Conclusively, the original styling team was scrapped, and the newly appointed stylist, Rudy Mance, worked hard to find vintage and archived pieces: actual 90s Prada, Yohji Yamamoto, and of course, Calvin Klein.
The first episode of the series sees Carolyn working her early days at Calvin Klein, true to the real world. As Carolyn aids in a styling session for Annette Bening’s premier of Bugsy, Calvin in the room himself, she suggests placing a suit blazer— one from the men’s collection— over the sleek black dress chosen originally by Calvin. Show Annette, of course, loves it, and it’s this display of taste that impresses Calvin enough to move Carolyn up in the company. In the real world, too, Annette is seen with this same look on the 1991 carpet premier. How realistic the show’s portrayal of Carolyn’s own involvement in building this outfit is, is up to debate.
The already classic dress is thus offset, but complimented, by a strong shouldered, Ash coloured blazer: one that looks very similar to what Calvin Klein just recently sent down the runway at their fall 2026 ready to wear show.
Annette Bening on carpet premier of Bugsy. Clavin Klein 2026 Ready to Wear.
Today, Calvin Klein’s image has been deeply focused on their celebrity endorsements and undergarments, but Veronica Leoni’s appointment as creative director in the May of 2024 has brought clothing back on the radar for the brand, and at a perfect time, when the show and the runway can merge to birth a new resurgence— a modern 90s minimalism. Her fall 2025 ready to wear show pulled many references from the 90 archives, and her fall 2026 ready to wear delved deeper into the 70s and 80s, nonetheless still showcasing a few odes to the 90s. While the new 2026 suits and the 90s ones aren’t exact in length or neckline, there’s still much nostalgia to call on with the oversized sleeves, clean neutral colours, and strong cut shoulders.
As the series love story takes the center stage in fashion, and new looks from Sarah Pigeon as Carolyn Bessette to emerge as love story reveals its episodes, one can only expect an era of 90s minimalism to emerge once again in the patterns of the runways. Keep your eye on the lookout for that classic and clean nostalgia of the 1990s.