Naomi Watts Wore Balenciaga To The ‘Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’ New York Premiere

Naomi Watts made her first red carpet appearance of 2026 for FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette New York premiere, held at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday.

TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

I know what you’re thinking: another thematic look. But you won’t find me complaining. I was listening to a podcast recently where they were discussing thematic dressing in relation to Wuthering Heights, and one of the hosts said that they might not have watched the trailer at all had they not seen the press tour first. That pretty much sums up where we are right now. People are scrolling endlessly, and these visually led press tours are, like it or not, how attention is captured.

This Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2026 look is a strong example of that thinking, especially given that Naomi portrays Jackie Kennedy.

While Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette is set in the 1990s, this look is not about Carolyn’s aesthetic. Naomi is playing Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who by this point had stepped away from the public role that defined her earlier life. Her style in this era shifted significantly. Gone were the overt references and symbolic dressing of the White House years. Instead, her wardrobe moved toward darker palettes, longer lines, and a more inward-facing elegance.

That is why this Balenciaga look works so well.

The high neckline and full coverage echo how Jackie dressed later in life, when elegance became private rather than performative. The long, fluid silhouette feels aligned with a woman who no longer needed to signal anything outward. This is Jackie as observer rather than icon, present in the story without competing for focus.

The white gloves may be not work for some, due to the overuse of them on the red carpet, but they speak to a time when formality and protocol still shaped public appearances, particularly for someone so closely associated with an American dynasty.

For a story tied to the Kennedys, this approach feels right. It avoids sliding into period imitation, instead filtering the codes of that era through a modern lens. That balance is exactly what you want from a fashion storyteller like Pierpaolo Piccioli, and it makes this a confident opening note for Naomi’s press tour.

Cartier jewels completed her look.

Stylist: Jeanann Williams. Makeup Artist: Mary Wiles. Hair Stylist: Rebekah Forecast.

Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2026

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