Kelly Klein, the ex-wife of fashion designer Calvin Klein, has shared a personal remembrance of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, recalling their last day together just before the fatal plane crash that killed Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr. nearly three decades ago.
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, ahead of the 27th anniversary of their deaths on July 16, Kelly Klein remembered Bessette as "elegant" and "greatly missed."
"I didn't know today would have been the last day I saw you!" Kelly wrote, addressing her late friend. "If you only knew what was going on down here!"
Kelly Klein and Carolyn Bessette developed a close friendship and professional relationship during Bessette's approximately eight years working for Calvin Klein from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Bessette began as a sales associate before moving to the brand's New York City headquarters, where she worked as a fashion publicist for VIP clients.
Bessette left Calvin Klein in 1996, amid her high-profile relationship with JFK Jr. The couple married and tragically died three years later on July 16, 1999, when the plane piloted by Kennedy crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard. Bessette was 33 and Kennedy was 38.
Kelly Klein shared two photos of Bessette in her tribute. One was a candid shot from "a trip to Paris," and the second was a Polaroid from "a fitting [Kelly and Bessette] were doing for [Calvin Klein]."
"Simple elegant minimal style! Just you and your natural being. Rest in peace Carolyn ! You are greatly missed !" Kelly Klein wrote.
She also noted Bessette's positive influence, stating she had "influenced so many of our young generation in only the most positive ways."
This is not the first time Kelly Klein has publicly honored Bessette. On the 21st anniversary of the crash in 2020, she posted a throwback photo of herself and Bessette, writing that she was "greatly missed."
Carolyn Bessette's career at Calvin Klein began in 1988 after she earned a degree in elementary education from Boston University. Discovered as a sales associate, she was recommended for a role at the NYC headquarters to work with celebrity clientele. Her ability to connect with A-list figures like Annette Bening and Diane Sawyer quickly made her a notable figure within the brand.
Bessette's journey from sales associate to PR director and eventually show production director at Calvin Klein concluded in 1996. Her rise within the fashion industry and her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr. were recently depicted in the Hulu series "Love Story."