Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Iconic 90’s Sunglasses are Back on Sale in NYC

Black and white image of Easte 45th St and Madison Ave street signs and high rises in NYC

Since Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” premiered earlier this year, the world’s obsession the iconic couple and their minimalist ’90s style has reached a fever pitch. Kennedy may have had his Kangol hats, sweater vests and baggy jeans; but it’s Bessette’s Calvin Klein office attire and ‘IYKYK’ designer pieces that have sent fashion girls into a shopping frenzy trying to mimic the look.

As Fashionista reports, the same West Village inhabitants clamoring for the plastic headbands that CBK once purchased at C.O. Bigelow can stop by a NYC Alex Mill store and add her signature sunglasses to their collection — as long as supplies last, of course. The brand partnered with Selima Optique — the NYC boutique where CBK herself shopped for eyewear — on a “direct reissue of the exact pair Carolyn purchased in the ’90s,” per a press release.

“She bought one color, but then I made others for her because she was so obsessed with the style,” Selima Salaun, founder of Selima Optique, told Fashionista in a 2023 interview. “She had such a specific look, she was very chic. She never asked for pink or red or blue. It was tortoises, khakis, and neutrals.”

Priced at $520 a pair, this new run of “The Carolyn” frames were handcrafted in France in “a very small batch,” according to the release. They are limited to one per customer starting Saturday, April 4 at Alex Mill’s Mercer Street store (77 Mercer St) and Upper East Side location (1182 Madison Ave) as a brick-and-mortar exclusive.

However, if it’s not in your budget to hop on a plane and buy yours in NYC, those who don’t mind waiting a bit longer can also order the style from Selima Optique’s website.


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