How the Costume Designer for FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Found Inspiration in Archival Styles for…

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      Re-Creating Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Iconic Wardrobe | Who What Wear - YouTube

      Rudy Mance, the Emmy-nominated costume designer for FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, has always had a passion for fashion. After relocating to New York City, an unexpected meeting altered the course of his career. "I met a stylist and fashion editor named Sarah Richardson through friends," Mance shared. "She lived in London, where she still resides, but at that time, she was working extensively in the U.S. for I-D magazine." Through another acquaintance, Mance eventually transitioned into film and television as a set costumer, responsible for dressing background actors. "Starting as a set costumer taught me about filmmaking and the intense effort that goes into being on set," he explained.

      In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Mance discusses with Who What Wear cofounder Hillary Kerr his transition from editorial styling to major Hollywood projects, the process of sourcing archival looks for FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and more. To read highlights from their conversation, continue scrolling.

      Can you tell me how you became interested in fashion and costume design?

      I grew up in a small rural town in Indiana. I was always drawn to fashion but didn’t know how to break into it. When I moved to New York, I didn’t have a clear plan, so I began working and networking. I lived in the Lower East Side, a trendy area of the city. I met stylist and fashion editor Sarah Richardson through friends; she lived in London and was then doing much work in the U.S. for I-D magazine. I started assisting her whenever she was in the U.S. Through my work with I-D and with her, I met Edward Enninful, whom I would occasionally assist, along with Sarah and several other stylists from Condé Nast.

      Fashion assistants typically don’t earn a lot. During the week, I worked at magazines, on Saturdays I worked at a taco truck on Bedford Avenue, and on Sundays, I spent time at a place called Beacon's Closet. There, I met Laura Downing, a wardrobe supervisor who hired me for a film as a background costumer. My initial role as a set costumer provided insight into filmmaking and the rigorous work that is involved. Then, I was hired as a costumer for a show called The Knick.

      Although Love Story is a Ryan Murphy project, this isn’t your first collaboration with him. You’ve worked on several projects with him, including Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, American Horror Story, and Monster. Despite the diversity of these projects, your relationship must be fascinating since it has developed over time, allowing you to get into each other’s minds.

      I began working with Ryan Murphy through Lou Eyrich, Ryan’s costume designer for many of his shows, with whom he has collaborated for about 25 years. Lou now serves as a producer overseeing costumes for all of Ryan's projects, so I work closely with Lou.

      Let’s discuss the creation of costumes for characters based on real individuals, like John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The world has its views on their legacy, yet you must also cater to a new audience. How do you manage these aspects?

      I always aim to approach costume design from a realistic perspective, even while ensuring it appears appealing and aspirational, as it’s made for TV. Regardless of the character’s appearance, whether attractive or not, the costumes should always feel authentic. They should resemble actual clothing and never appear overly precious. Like the two of them, costumes should not seem forced; it ultimately relies on style. Thankfully, Paul [Anthony Kelly] and Sarah [Pidgeon] are both quite stylish and could wear almost anything.

      Let’s talk about sourcing.

      We had an incredible team of assistants and shoppers. Yes, we utilized 1stDibs, Etsy, and eBay. Our team in L.A. sourced items from rental houses and various vintage stores. We explored every vintage shop in New York and even traveled to Philadelphia when needed. Many pieces were sourced from overseas, including a Prada bag from Ukraine.

      At one point, we even searched Japanese eBay due to sourcing challenges. In terms of archives, we used as much as we could. Sunita Kumar Nair was remarkable and introduced us to Yohji Yamamoto. I'm not sure if we ended up using anything from Yohji's archives, or from Prada, either. Yohji Yamamoto and Prada had just opened their flagship