In 1968, Jackie Kennedy chose a wedding dress that was a stark departure from the Anne Lowe couture gown she wore for her first marriage to John F. Kennedy. While still a couture piece, her wedding on the Greek island of Skorpios, owned by Onassis, featured a more relaxed two-piece ensemble from Valentino’s 1968 Spring/Summer collection.
Marissa Speer, the designer handbag and fashion sales manager at Bonhams, an auction house, describes the look as “revolutionary for the time, with a short length that was unconventional.” She adds, “It marked Jackie’s transition from “Mrs. Kennedy” to Jackie Onassis, a style icon. It symbolized a time when she was making her own choices and becoming independent through fashion.”
Jackie reportedly purchased the two-piece during a preview of the couture collection, and is believed to have bought several other pieces at the time. “Jackie wore Valentino frequently in the 1960s, so choosing a Valentino wedding dress was a natural choice,” Speer says. “This was a time when Valentino’s popularity was rising, and he went on to achieve great success in the 1970s.”
After Jackie’s death in 1994, the dress was gifted to a couple who worked on Onassis’s yacht Christina. It will be auctioned off later this month alongside a Calvin Klein tuxedo and suit worn by John F. Kennedy Jr., and a Giorgio Armani coat.
While Jackie’s beloved vintage Cartier watch has already found its way to Kim Kardashian, the question remains: who will acquire this historic wedding dress? Its significance in history makes it a piece that demands attention.
