When Jackie Kennedy married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968, she chose a wedding dress that was a stark contrast to the Ann Lowe couture gown she wore for her first wedding to John F. Kennedy. For the ceremony on Onassis’s private Greek island, Skorpios, she opted for a more relaxed yet still couture look: a Valentino high-neck lace top and pleated skirt from the designer’s spring/summer 1968 collection.
This departure from tradition wasn’t just a stylistic choice; it was a reflection of Jackie’s evolving identity. As Marissa Speer, head of sale for designer handbags and fashion at Bonhams in the US, explains to Vogue, “Jackie’s wedding dress was groundbreaking for the time, being an unconventional short dress. The dress is a stepping stone in her transition from the Queen of Camelot to Jackie O: style icon, where she was making her own choices and showing her independence through her style.”
It’s believed that Jackie purchased the two-piece during a private showing of Valentino’s haute couture collection, along with several other dresses. “Jackie wore a few Valentino outfits during the 1960s, so it was a natural choice for her wedding dress,” Speer explains. “Valentino during this time was growing in popularity and went on to be prolific in the 1970s.”
Following Jackie’s death in 1994, the Valentino ensemble was gifted to a couple who worked on Onassis’s yacht, Christina. It’s now going up for auction later this month, with an estimated price of $8,000 to $12,000 (€7,000 to €11,000). The auction will also feature John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Calvin Klein tuxedo and suit, and a Giorgio Armani coat.
With Kim Kardashian already owning Jackie Kennedy’s vintage Cartier watch, could she be the next owner of the former First Lady’s Valentino wedding dress? Only time will tell.
