Lace crowns, harem pants, monogrammed train cases, vintage turbans and painted fans. Despite mixed reviews, the costumes alone make “Sex and the City 2″ worth seeing.
Inside the story, Carrie Bradshaw and her pals have moved on from thirtysomething single-girl angst to fortysomething married-girl angst (relationship malaise, career-family balance, hot nannies and hot flashes – depressing stuff). How to escape? An all expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi, plus a fantasy wardrobe to go with it.
Unlike the costumes inside the very first film, this time the look is far more motivated by fashion than fashion. Not that there aren’t a great deal of big-name designers represented on-screen, including plenty of Halston (not surprising since Sarah Jessica Parker is chief creative officer for that Harvey Weinstein-owned fashion brand).
But you’ll find also vintage finds, low-cost chic basics from Zara and a lot of discoveries from lesser-known designers, all of which manufactured the series must-see fashion Television way back when. And this time, there’s a book, “Sex and the City 2: The Stories. The Fashion. The Adventure” (Running Press), to document each head-turning appear.
Costume designer Patricia Field and her team spent almost a year performing fashion footwork – scouring markets in Dubai, sitting at runway shows, pulling from designer archives, visiting showrooms and working the late-night fashion party circuit, all in search in the ideal eye candy. The visual spectacle they create is its own sort of escape.
I spoke to Molly Rogers, Field’s longtime collaborator and assistant costume designer for the film.
Q: What was your inspiration?
A: The girls are genuinely thrilled to be heading on this excursion and they are stimulated through the destination. That called out for plenty of long dresses, which are cooler in that climate. We had been inspired by a great deal of old films that took place in exotic places, like “The English Patient” and “The African Queen.” We loved how in “African Queen,” Katharine Hepburn was all carried out up in gloves and also a parasol until factors started falling apart.
Q: Was there a whole lot of discussion about the best way to dress the characters while they had been traveling in a Muslim country?
A: It played an aspect inside the fittings, but it didn’t hamper us. Pat didn’t want a shawl on everybody, so we figured out other methods of covering the shoulders. And when they were definitely at the resort, it was a kind of free of charge zone.
Q: Let’s talk about some with the a lot more interesting fashion flourishes inside film. That crumpled Yohji Yamamoto hat Carrie wears around the plane.
A: When Sarah Jessica walks into a room of hats, if one carries a hole in it or is distressed, she gravitates to it. That hat experienced issues, but she wanted to try and get it from the movie anyway. And Michael Patrick King ended up writing a line about it.
Q: The embellished jeans she wears towards the karaoke club are so decadent-looking, and I’ve in no way even heard of the label Closed.
A: Sarah Jessica had been on a shoot prior to prepping for your movie, and she found that line. We known as the organization and experienced five or six pairs sent more than, and sent them to the Blonds to embellish. She wears them with a Chanel skirt on top.
Q: New York designers Phillipe and David Blond also made the red dress while using spiky shoulders that Samantha wears on the club, proper?
A: Yes. I’ve worked with Pat for so quite a few years, and she has so much energy. She termed me one particular night and explained, ‘I’m having cocktails using the Blonds and I’d like you to come.’ It had been 11:30, and I already had my pajamas on. Around the way house, she texted me that Phillipe had this dress on that would be great for Samantha.
Q: In a single with the much more memorable scenes, Carrie wears a purple taffeta ball skirt to go shopping at a souk. Who does that?
A: We had been from the fitting room and Sarah Jessica experienced this incredible green print Zac Posen ball gown on. She added a cowboy hat and stated, “Now I know I can’t wear this on a camel.” We ended up all laughing and helping her out from the dress and there was this gorgeous skirt for a lining underneath. It reminded Pat from the tutu through the TV demonstrate. So I ran more than towards the rack and got a T-shirt in the Dior archives and we stated, now we have something.
Q: Do you ever sense pressure to use certain designers?
A: We do not truly sense that. We just hear, “Sarah Jessica would like to see Appear 11 in the runway demonstrate,” along with the designers send it with no threats or strings attached.
Q: Even with Halston?
A: There was no pressure. Pat has been definitely, definitely into Halston for a while, and it’s so appropriate for that portion with the world. And that very first white dress Carrie wears within the film, it is so clean and modern, so New York.
Q: It’s been reported that the costumes cost $10 million.
A: No, we would all be fired and out of jobs. I don’t know how that started out. Maybe simply because we borrowed a Leviev diamond for Kim (Cattrall) and it absolutely was insured for $5 million. I don’t know, but Pat includes a reputation for delivering the goods at a cost, and quite a few items ended up loaned. The budget was considerably lower.
Did the cast get to maintain the clothes?
Not the ones that have been loaned – we return them. If a single of the girls is actually attached to anything, at times it is gifted through the designer. But the majority goes back. And really, where is Kim heading to wear that red dress with spikes again anyway?