S.T. Dupont has good timing for the revamp of its Classique pen, originally created at the request of Jackie Kennedy, with a new television project on the Kennedy dynasty in the works.
In other words, the return of that Kennedy mystique into public discourse means it may be time to prep your three-strand pearl necklaces, put out a display of enameled bracelets, and bump up brooches as a fashion statement for your clients.
TV producer and writer Ryan Murphy recently announced an upcoming limited series, American Love Story, that will focus on Jackie’s son John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, with actress Sarah Pidgeon reportedly cast as Bessette.
S.T. Dupont released its latest Classique in late March—more than 50 years after first making the pen to complement a S.T. Dupont lighter Jackie Kennedy had received as a diplomatic gift when she was first lady. The Classique is S.T. Dupont’s tribute to Kennedy and to the beauty of handwriting in a world dominated by digital communication, says CEO Alain Crevet.
Trend watcher Jalil Johnson says you can’t help but revel in Jackie Kennedy’s style and legacy. He himself became fascinated with Kennedy as a child, as his grandmother (or Sasha) had the first lady’s picture on her refrigerator.
“I have this memory of when I was around 5 years old of that magnet on my Sasha’s fridge. It was of Jackie meeting with the minister of culture in France wearing that strapless pink gown and the tiara,” Johnson says. “I asked my Sasha, ‘Who is this princess? Who is this queen?’ and she told me, ‘That’s Jackie.’”
Johnson, who’s served as stylist in residence with jewelry platform At Present, says he would snap up a Classique pen, or monogrammed S.T. Dupont lighter like the one Kennedy received as a gift on that Paris trip, in a second—and he’d add the initial J for his own name and to honor Jackie.
“She was so ahead of her time. She thought about the photos and the image she was creating. She cared,” says Johnson. “One reason why Jackie’s style prevails is that the Kennedy administration was the closest the country had to a monarchy. And I think no matter how civilizations evolve, there always will be a fascination with something tied to the monarchy.”
For background: In 1961, André Malraux, then French minister of cultural affairs, presented the first lady with an S.T. Dupont black lacquer Ligne 1 lighter adorned with a discreet J in yellow gold. In the 1970s, Kennedy asked the French accessories brand to create a ballpoint pen to match her beloved lighter. S.T. Dupont says the Classique was the world’s first luxury writing instrument.
The Classique comes in five different colorways, with a brushed palladium or gold finish, vertical or diagonal guilloche, and black, blue, or red lacquer. The collection ranges in price from $425 for brushed palladium to $495 for gold-plated with red accent.
“Jackie Kennedy Onassis embodied elegance, sophistication, and an innate sense of style that felt effortless yet meticulously curated. What makes her legacy so enduring is her ability to transcend trends—she represented timeless refinement rather than fleeting fashion,” Crevet says.
“Her association with S.T. Dupont is a perfect illustration of this,” he adds. “She valued the refinement and savoir-faire of our maison, selecting accessories that reflected her unique approach to style—understated, yet undeniably iconic.”
The new Classique carries the same DNA as its historic predecessor but with a slightly thicker silhouette, Crevet says. It has a faceted and guilloched body like the original.
“With this re-edition, we wanted to honor that legacy— celebrating the timeless elegance of the original while enhancing it for contemporary connoisseurs,” Crevet says. “And this is just the beginning. With additional upcoming projects, we continue to preserve our heritage while constantly refining our creations for the present and the future.”
Top: S.T. Dupont’s Classique collection of five pens (photos courtesy of S.T. Dupont)
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