Carolyn Bessette Kennedy had an iconic look, but she almost changed it before the most important day of her life.
The late fashion publicist rose to prominence at Calvin Klein thanks to her always chic, minimalist wardrobe and striking beauty.
Brad Johns was responsible for the “chunk” highlights that made CBK famous, a technique he invented to take her from light brown to her iconic buttery blonde.
But Johns exclusively told Page Six Style that just days before her secret marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr. in September 1996, her publicist was contemplating a big change.
“She came in nervously and said, ‘I have something very special planned. I’m going to dye my hair black,'” Johns recalled. “I said, ‘Absolutely not.'”
In addition to trying to make her clients and friends look fresh, Johns said she would “never” darken her hair dramatically and would advise anyone considering a major hair change to try a wig.
“When women are panicking, they want something different,” says Johns. His memoir, Dye, chronicles his legendary career.
Johns said he had no idea that CBK would marry JFK Jr. in an intimate ceremony in Georgia just days after sitting in the chair, but he knew she was planning “something special.”
Instead of making her darker, he added even lighter blonde pieces to frame her face.
“I said to her, ‘God, I’m glad I kept that part of me in front of you because you look like a princess,'” Johns recalled.
