Free PR with a fashion brand? Well, it’s a love story.
Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” reignited our collective fascination with the late couple, who were tabloid darlings and the subject of paparazzi attention until their death in a tragic plane crash in 1999.
Thanks to the FX show, fans of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s simple, sophisticated style are lining up outside the late icon’s favorite New York pharmacy to buy her favorite headbands, selling her signature perfume online for thousands of dollars, and rushing to buy her go-to bootcut Levi’s.
And CBK’s unconventional Narciso Rodriguez wedding dress is a minimalist white slip that has inspired brides for years.
But the nine-episode series depicts the couple’s entire relationship, including Bessette’s time working in Calvin Klein’s PR department (and dressing for the role in clean, crisp ’90s neutrals).
The beautiful blonde was recruited from a Calvin Klein store in Massachusetts and worked her way up from sales clerk to public relations director, quitting in 1996 shortly after getting married.
Brando and Klein, the man he played in Alessandro Nivola’s “Love Story,” will feature prominently in the show as the designer introduces the couple. CBK worked closely on growing the brand’s raunchy, sexually playful aesthetic, plucking Kate Moss from obscurity for an underwear campaign with “Marky Mark” Wahlberg.
And although both Sarah Pidgeon (Bessette) and Paul Anthony Kelly (JFK Jr.) were unknowns before appearing in the controversial series, perhaps no one’s stock has risen more than Calvin Klein’s in the weeks since its launch.
Although neither the brand nor its namesake designer appear to be officially involved in the show or its costumes, Calvin Klein earned $16.1 million in media impact value from references to “Love Story,” John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in the month following the show’s Feb. 12 premiere, according to brand performance firm Launchmetrics.
Media Impact Value “enables brands to assign a monetary value to every post, interaction, and article to measure its impact and identify its contribution to brand performance,” a Launchmetrics representative told Page Six Style.
On February 13, Calvin Klein, now designed by Veronica Leoni, held a runway show during New York Fashion Week, attended by friends old and new of the brand, including Brooke Shields and Rivals star François Arnault.
Grace Gummer, who plays Caroline Kennedy on the show, attended with her husband Mark Ronson, but Pidgeon and Kelly did not.
Surprisingly, it took several weeks for Pigeon to be equipped to Calvin. The actress finally wrapped up awards season at Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party in a custom sparkling gown and handbag shaped like a CK One perfume bottle.
It was an interesting choice of accessories. Bessette has no actual connection to the fragrance, which is considered the first commercial unisex perfume, but she was with the company when it hit the market in 1994. This seemed like a moment to highlight the brand’s history, unrelated to Pigeon’s work.
Given the brand’s history of casting pop culture icons and up-and-coming artists in its campaigns, a “love story” moment felt virtually guaranteed. However, rather than featuring actors from the show in its Valentine’s Day campaign, the brand opted to use Tell Me Rise stars (and real-life couple) Grace Van Patten and Jackson White.
“In 2026, the real question is not how big your MIV numbers are, but what you do with them to get their attention,” said Mallory Blair, Small Girls PR CEO and co-founder.
“MIV is a proxy for visibility. Think of it as proof that you’ve opened the door. Now that you’re in, you need to drive business. Winning brands will treat moments like this as the starting line of a race,” she says.
“In this case, Calvin Klein was handed a resurgence of cultural relevance on a silver platter.”
What would Blair, who has worked on campaigns for companies ranging from start-up Billy to powerhouse Olay, advise brands to do to get noticed?
“Let’s start with the obvious mistake: Sarah Pidgeon should have been in the front row of Fashion Week, so her spotlight is directly on items that viewers can actually buy,” she says.
According to Blair, could there have been any other way for the Calvin Klein team to take advantage of this moment? Limited edition capsules inspired by CBK’s iconic looks, or a simple ‘buy an episode’ experience. The brand may also have increased traffic to its stores by temporarily giving them a ’90s makeover to mimic the office setup seen on screen, including a white orchid.
“Attention is important, and it’s even more important when you act on it,” Blair says. “If we don’t transform this moment, it’s wasted.
