Sarah Pidgeon’s – Filming Love Story gave Sarah Pidgeon rare access to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s wardrobe—but one Chanel piece still slipped away. Last night, she brought that Carolyn energy to Chanel’s Tribeca Artists Dinner, while Tribeca itself marked 25 years as guests gat
For Sarah Pidgeon, some wardrobe quests don’t end when the camera stops rolling.
While filming Love Story, she had “unparalleled access” to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s very own wardrobe. Still. one piece remained out of reach: the late publicist’s floral midi dress from Chanel’s spring/summer 1996 collection. designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Pidgeon said she begged for it to be included “in the show.” She described the dress as “bias-cut. ” noting. “She’s got sling-backs on. Her hair is tossed to the side. She looks so summery, absolutely beautiful, and at ease.”.
Pidgeon’s point wasn’t just about the look—it was about the feeling. She framed that Lagerfeld-era Chanel moment as an unmistakable match for Bessette Kennedy’s effortless elegance. even as she acknowledged the watercolor motif diverged from the understated minimalism that helped cement Bessette Kennedy’s reputation as a style icon.
The dress never made it onto the screen. But the spirit of it found another runway last night. when Pidgeon arrived at Chanel’s annual Tribeca Artists Dinner at Tribeca Grill wearing a sleek leather minidress from Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel 2026 Métiers d’art collection. The design featured interlocking Cs at the hips and was paired with the brand’s now-signature square-toe pumps.
Her hair—still in the “unmistakable shade of CBK blond. ” and perfectly tousled—was the finishing touch that made the night feel stitched to the past. Pidgeon said there are “only so many more weeks that you can get away with wearing leather in New York.” To soften the toughness of the look. she layered several 18K white-gold pieces from Chanel’s “Coco Crush” collection. alongside the Première Galon timepiece in white gold and diamonds. She said the accessories “blend so seamlessly together.”.
The dinner wasn’t only a fashion stop. It highlighted the 2026 Artist Awards Program—an initiative that invites esteemed artists to provide works for the festival winners. Curated by Zoe Lukov. the lineup this year includes Bony Ramirez. Brendan Fernandes. Carrie Mae Weems. Hank Willis Thomas. Jason Bard Yarmosky. Joshua Woods. Kiki Smith. Soull and Dynasty Ogun. Tavares Strachan. and Tosh Basco.
Pidgeon moved through the room with a mix of familiarity and surprise. She had longtime friend Chase Sui Wonders and Love Story co-star Grace Gummer on her radar. while also aiming to mingle with the wider Chanel crowd. She spoke about wanting a particular moment with Tribeca Grill co-owner and festival co-founder Robert De Niro. “I haven’t been able to shake Robert De Niro’s hand,” she said. “Maybe I can get that in tonight.”.
The event landed at a busy intersection of attention and anniversaries. This year marked the dinner’s 19th edition, coinciding with the Tribeca Festival’s 25th anniversary. The night also overlapped with Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Guests including Teyana Taylor and Molly Gordon showed up to support the hometown team; Gordon wore a retro-style Knicks jacket and jeans.
The dinner’s location added its own layer. It had previously been held at downtown institutions including The Odeon and Balthazar. but returned Pidgeon to a neighborhood she says became familiar during filming. After spending months inhabiting Bessette Kennedy’s world in Tribeca. she developed an affection for the area and the era it represented. Tribeca Grill, fittingly, is just blocks from the Kennedys’ former loft on North Moore Street.
Pidgeon said she was born in 1996, so she doesn’t have a lived experience of the ’90s. Instead. she described a longing for “this time of anonymity and ‘you had to be there’ moments.” She added that being able to tell this love story—“which was also. in many ways. a love story to New York”—and spend so much time across the city. especially Tribeca. was “really special.”.
Now, she said, the neighborhood feels different. “It is very comforting to be able to walk around and navigate Tribeca without looking at my Google Maps.”
She didn’t get the Chanel dress she wanted for Love Story. But last night, in leather, gold, and CBK-blond hair, she turned that unanswered wardrobe question into something close enough to wear in public.
Sarah Pidgeon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Love Story Chanel Karl Lagerfeld Tribeca Artists Dinner Tribeca Festival Robert De Niro Matthieu Blazy CBK blond Coco Crush Métiers d’art