And the bride wore...

Valentino. Stellene Volandes tells the story behind Jackie Onassis's epoch-making wedding dress

Did Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy become Jackie Onassis the moment she wore Valentino? Technically this is true: on October 20, 1968 in Skorpios Greece, she married Aristotle Onassis in an ivory lace knee length dress with bishop sleeves by the Italian designer. But it was more than that. 

In 1964, Mrs Kennedy moved to New York from Washington. It is said that a friend was with her one afternoon and noted that she seemed down. She had been somewhat reclusive, understandably, and discreet about where she went and with whom. She also seemed to be in search of a new wardrobe for this new chapter. Clearly Mrs Kennedy was a woman who understood the power of fashion to shape identity and destiny. Luckily, Valentino had just come to town. 

At the urging of her friend, Mrs Kennedy visited the designer at a private showing of his new collection. That day, she bought six dresses from it. It was this moment, one could argue, the Jackie we came to know as Jackie O – with the oversized sunglasses, the shift dresses and Lalaounis earrings –was born. 

Just a few years later on an official visit to Cambodia, Jackie wore a Valentino jade- coloured one-shoulder gown with silver embroidery. Her hair is longer than it was in the White House, so are her earrings. The silhouette of the dress is different too, elegantly long and lean, not cinched in waist, no flared skirt. There is a confident European sense of glamour evident here. And yes, the Valentino in this oft-cited image does reflect the trends of the time. But this was the woman who set them. She was still Mrs Kennedy in 1967, but Jackie O had begun to emerge. 

“A dress from a landmark collection already destined for fashion history, now became part of the history of the world”

So on that day on Skorpios, 1968, the decision – to wear Valentino at least – was the natural one. Though reportedly, Jackie's choice came as a surprise to the man who designed it.  The knee-length dress with its pleated skirt, mock turtleneck, and signature sleeves, was part of Valentino’s Spring Summer 1968 couture show, a collection of all white pieces now equally famous for a Henry Clarke photo shoot it inspired with models, including Marisa Berenson, shot in Cy Twombly’s apartment in Rome. Somewhere, a bride preparing for her second wedding, one that would be examined scrupulously by the entire world, took notice. “It was announced on television and in every magazine and every newspaper that Jackie Kennedy would marry Aristotle Onassis in the month of August on the Greek island of Skorpios,” Mr Valentino has said. Once the announcement came so did the phone calls. “They knew she had Valentino clothes.” Reporters assumed he knew what she had chosen to wear. “I swear to God I didn’t know, I really didn’t know.” The images of the couple from that day appeared on the cover of newspapers around the world. Ari in a suit with the celebratory rice evident in his hair and his shoulders. His bride, now officially Jackie Onassis, seemingly untouched by the pouring grain, with a long satin ribbon in her hair, and in white Valentino. At that moment, a dress from a landmark collection already destined for fashion history, now became part of the history of the world.

And, for the first time, the wedding ensemble will be offered at Bonhams in the Luxury Online Fashion auction running from 16 to 26 September. Where has it been? It has been kept safe by a couple from Skorpios who worked for the Onassis family and whom had become close to Mrs Onassis. When Jackie left the island – and after Ari’s death – she left some things behind, the Valentino dress was one of them. It has been in their care ever since. 

What would it mean to acquire a piece like this? Could a bride with her heart in history, like Jackie, take this 1968 dress from her closet and wear it on her wedding day? It is in pristine condition, says Marissa Speer, Bonhams Head of Fashion for the US. “The dress does not show the wear and tear I would normally see in a piece like this. It’s been kept beautifully, in acid-free tissue paper, and is in excellent condition for its age.”

“It’s about investing in a whole new level of value, an understanding that this piece was worn by this person at this moment in history, and what that means”

Historically important vintage fashion has gained momentum in the auction market and has become a focus for collectors. Note the prices attained for Princess Diana’s black sheep sweater, for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Yohji Yamamoto, for Carrie Bradshaw’s newspaper print Galliano (pop culture too is history). “Collectors appreciate the hunt, and they have a broadened sense of fashion knowledge. They also are excited about having pieces no one else has. But mostly it’s about investing in a whole new level of value, an understanding that this piece was worn by this person at this moment in history, and what that means.” 

And this dress, worn by one of the most famous women in the world on her wedding day, a piece that is significant in fashion history, and in a defining moment of the 20th century, this dress also has another story to tell for the collector who acquires it. As Speer says, “It is evidence of an incredible story of American resilience. Proof you can be in control of your own destiny.” 

Stellene Volandes is Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country magazine.

Luxury Online Fashion auction | 16-26 September, New York

For enquiries, contact Marissa Speer on marissa.speer@bonhams.com or 07483 286 387.