Newman's Own George Awards Gala, 1999

What do you get when you throw together a cinema icon and a political lifestyle glossy? Why the Newman's Own/George Awards Gala of course.

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward,
JFK Jr and Carolyn

On May 19 1999 Paul Newman and John hosted a gala for their respective companies, honouring philanthropic corporations in America. This event was the second annual gathering of Paul's food company "Newman's Own" and John's political magazine "George" ... oh and Carolyn tagged along!

Carolyn wore a ruffled Yohji Yamamoto jacket and pants, nude sandals and her black Comme des Garcons clutch.

I have to admit, I hated this outfit the first time I saw it. I just could not understand why Carolyn, with her refined style and preference for simple lines, would choose a ruffled coat of all things.

John and Carolyn at Newman's Own / George Awards, May 19 1999

But with a bit of time and a learned appreciation for Yohji Yamamoto's designs this has come to be one of my favourite looks on Carolyn! Yamamoto's brilliant craftmanship should be noted in this piece. He managed to beautifully fold ruffles on the front part of a jacket without it being overwhelming - and when have ruffles ever not been overwhelming?! Admittedly, I was never a big fan of this look but it has grown on me so much that its one of my favourite CBK outfits. Carolyn knew how to take risks without resorting to flashy trends, and always wore her looks with an intelligence that seems modern even today.

I've tried looking for runway pictures of this jacket but anything before 2000 is hard to find. It might even have been custom made for CBK. I'll update the post and let you know if I do find something! As always, click below the jump to see more pictures!