Julia Rabinowitsch, vintage sourcer and founder of lifestyle site The Millennial Decorator, is releasing a collection of 15 pairs of shoe designs inspired by the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. These shoes are not the exact items that belonged to Bessette-Kennedy, but they are the same brand, style, and often year as the ones she owned. Rabinowitsch spent six months meticulously researching Bessette-Kennedy’s footwear by looking at old paparazzi photos and reading Sunita Kumar Nair’s book about her fashion style.
Among the shoes in the collection are Bessette-Kennedy’s Carolyne Manolo Blahniks, which she wore to a ceremony in honor of President John F. Kennedy’s birthday. She was also known for wearing black Prada loafers while walking around TriBeCa and snakeskin Prada kitten heels with cropped jeans and a black coat. The beige Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes with a tiny buckle were the trickiest to track down, eventually found on an eBay account dedicated to finding archival fashion pieces worn by Bessette-Kennedy.
Rabinowitsch’s collection also includes Prada boots sourced from Japan. The shoes pay homage to Bessette-Kennedy’s iconic style and have garnered significant attention on social media. For example, the Prada snakeskin Mary Janes received a lot of interest on Rabinowitsch’s Instagram story, even though their association with Bessette-Kennedy was not explicitly mentioned. People were drawn to the unique and rare designs that were characteristic of Bessette-Kennedy’s personal fashion sense.
The shoes in the collection are not exact replicas of Bessette-Kennedy’s footwear, but they capture the essence of her style and the brands she favored. Rabinowitsch’s research and dedication to finding these rare and elusive designs highlight her commitment to preserving and celebrating the legacy of iconic figures in fashion history. By making these shoes available to the public, she enables others to channel Bessette-Kennedy’s timeless and elegant aesthetic in their own wardrobe choices.
Overall, Rabinowitsch’s collection of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-inspired shoes offers a way for fans of the late style icon to connect with her fashion legacy. Each pair of shoes tells a story and reflects Bessette-Kennedy’s unique sense of style and sophistication. By bringing these designs back to life and sharing them with a new audience, Rabinowitsch ensures that Bessette-Kennedy’s influence on the fashion world continues to be celebrated and remembered for years to come.
