Julia Fox turned heads this Halloween not with glamour, but with a grim piece of American history. Her choice to dress as Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of JFK’s assassination—wearing a pink suit stained with blood—was a fashion statement that ignited a firestorm, raising questions about how we memorialize tragedy through clothing.
The original pink Chanel suit is an iconic, if haunting, symbol. Jackie Kennedy’s refusal to change her clothes was a deliberate act, a silent, powerful protest against the violence that had just occurred. The image is forever seared into public memory as a juxtaposition of elegance and horror, composure and devastation.
Fox’s decision to replicate this exact moment was always going to be controversial. Critics, including the Kennedy family, saw it as a disrespectful exploitation of a family’s personal tragedy for shock value. The costume was labeled as “tone deaf” and a violation of the dignity surrounding a national trauma.
In her defense, Fox leaned into the symbolism of the original act. She argued that her portrayal was a tribute to Jackie’s strength, framing the suit as a tool of resistance. By calling it a “statement” rather than a costume, Fox attempted to position herself within a tradition of using fashion as a medium for protest and social commentary, challenging the public to see the historical event through a lens of female empowerment and the weaponization of image.
