Patricia Field Sells Directly
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
As the costume designer for the hit HBO series “Sex and the City,” Patricia Field created a vibrant on-screen world of fashion. Though some outfits were over the top, accessories and brands that Carrie Bradshaw wore became hits — from oversize flowers to Manolo Blahnik stilettos.
Now her creativity is going mainstream: Ms. Field has created a 50-piece limited collection, “Patricia Field’s Destination Style New York,” that is currently available for pre-sale on the Home Shopping Network. Every piece in the line is less than $200. The collection, which was presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, was inspired by the television and film versions of “Sex and the City,” Ms. Field said, as well as her work on the film “The Devil Wears Prada.” In an interview with The New York Sun at the Bryant Park Hotel, Ms. Field said that she designed the collection with the “‘Sex and the City’ woman” in mind. “I know that woman,” the designer, swathed in a pale green Versace dress, said. “It’s a woman who’s discovered that she has power, and she has a life and she can enjoy it in any way she wants.”
The looks feature the signature accessories that earned Ms. Field television fame. Wide belts with boxy metal buckles cinch dresses in floral, flowing layers, including a polka-dotted crimson halter dress. An over-the-shoulder tote bag pays homage to “Sex and the City” with a geometric shoe print, which also appears on a body-hugging minidress and matching gloves. And, of course, there’s a glittering purple flower headband reminiscent of Carrie.
Nearly all of the pieces were inspired by vintage looks, Ms. Field said, from shiny gold stretch pants to a baby blue minidress with cape sleeves. A look inspired by Carrie’s signature “flower dress,” with an oversize blossom at the neckline, was taken from a ’70s-era frock, which Ms. Field shortened for a more contemporary feel.
“All those iconic pieces from the movie were vintage,” Ms. Field said, adding that she has always taken inspiration from classic looks, despite her reputation for edgy designs. “I don’t reinvent the wheel. I take the wheel, and put my trim on it.”
But she added that the collection also borrows from her own original ideas over the years. “I invented leggings in 1979,” she said.
Ms. Field, who will officially launch the collection with an HSN appearance September 23, said the collaboration with the network felt right because of her long association with television. “I love TV,” Ms. Field, who currently is styling the series “Ugly Betty,” said. “I can see the power of TV.”
She has sought to diversify her television presence, but many of the reality shows she was offered never felt right. “I couldn’t see myself doing it,” she said. “I wanted to expand in TV, but in a way that makes sense to me.”
And that’s where HSN came in. Ms. Field said it appealed to her origins in retail. “I’m a retailer,” she said. “That’s what I do.”