Sarah Pidgeon method-dressed to the max on Monday night at the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” premiere in Los Angeles, debuting a hair transformation inspired by her upcoming role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in the anthology series, “American Love Story.” Scheduled to premiere in 2026, the series will follow the relationship of the late fashion icon and her husband of three years, John F. Kennedy Jr.
Sarah Pidgeon
Pidgeon sported a multidimensional melting pot of platinum blond, gold and brown highlights almost identical to Bessette-Kennedy’s famed color in the ’90s. Her new coloring was created by celebrity hair stylist Kari Hill, whose star-studded client list includes Shailene Woodley and Priyanka Chopra.
The signature Bessette-Kennedy blond is anything but uniform. The light streaks aren’t so much blended as they are painted between one another. Framing her face, however, are those blond sections layered on top of a pool of dark hues.
Pidgeon and Paul Kelly on the set of their upcoming series, “American Love Story.”
GC Images
The style change comes after online criticism erupted over the first on-set images of Pidgeon and Paul Kelly, who’s set to play Kennedy Jr. in the series, were revealed in June. The images showed her with long, dirty blond locks instead of the convoluted composition crafted by colorist Brad Johns especially for Bessette-Kennedy.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. at a Cartier event.
Sygma via Getty Images
Bessette-Kennedy’s aesthetic, fashion- and beauty-wise, has been trending again, propelling the former Calvin Klein publicist right back into the limelight 26 years after her death at the age of 33. On what would have been her 59th birthday back in January, WWD celebrated her memorable style, with a catalogue of her tips on color combinations and outfit formulas.
“I like very classic colors, black, navy, grey and white,” Bessette-Kennedy said in a 1992 interview. “If I want to add some impact, I’ll do it with texture.” And so she did. Yet, Bessette-Kennedy was often careful not to vear too far off the minimal path, sticking to luxury brand names such as Prada and Helmut Lang, as well as more affordable clothing lines such as Massimo Dutti and G.H. Bass.
“American Love Story” is set to be released on FX and Hulu in February 2026.
