The woman behind the clothes: Liz Jones meets the stylist

Tag : Ladies' Camisole

"I don't know who liked sensible Miranda, but they are goingto like her a lot more when they see the movie."
I wonder how she approached the character of Carrie Bradshaw forthe new film now that it is five years on and she is in her 40s.
Did she think putting her in puffball skirts, knee socks and wedgestipped her into the cartoonish?
"First of all, SJP has that great body, she doesn't takeherself too seriously, and she was able to pull off more outrageousfashion.
"What is great about an older woman is that she has moreexperience, she is more sexy and confident, and her wardrobereflects that."
Was she worried the clothes might date? "That only happens ifyou are using just what is in season. I used vintage."
I ask her which designers were junked for the film. "Ithought: 'I hope we don't have to do the Manolos all overagain'," she says. "I couldn't have Carrie tripping alongFifth Avenue in the same spikeheeled sandals.
"What defined Carrie's look for the film was a pair of Diorshoes called the Extreme Sandal.
"Carrie loved the Dior shoe so much, she wouldn't take themoff. In the end, I had to rip them away from her, saying: 'Carriewould not wear the same shoe day after day!'
"Kim Cattrall's style as Samantha for the TV series (allpastel Gucci and Armani power suits) was influenced by Dynasty, the1980s soap that gave women more fashion trends (shoulder pads,costume jewellery, big hair) than there is space to mention.
"When it came to dressing Charlotte, I was inspired by JackieKennedy. I wanted her to be less girly, but Kristin found that alittle difficult."
The revelation in the film, she says, is Cynthia Nixon's Miranda.
"Since the series finished, Cynthia had lost 15lb, so shecould wear clothing much better."
Patricia started working on Sex And The City by accident. Theproducers had already made the pilot but hated the clothes.
SJP then remembered Field, having worked with her in 1995 on a filmcalled Miami Rhapsody.
"In the beginning, it was making calls and leaving voicemailsand nobody ever calling me back," says Field. "But abouttwo seasons in that started to change. They realised we were givingthem the biggest shop window in the world."
Field made not only Manolo Blahnik a household name, but also JimmyChoo, Fendi and Balenciaga.
Her next tip for worldwide fame? "I used an American designercalled CD Green a lot for Samantha," she says.
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