TALKING STYLE – PATRICIA FIELD

New Zealand Herald
fm?c_id=6&objectid=10511355
May 20 2008

You certainly couldn’t lose her in a crowd. Strutting through the
lobby of the Ritz Carlton hotel in New York, Academy Award-nominated
designer to the stars, Patricia Field’s hair is fuschia-hued, her
petite frame engulfed by a large fur coat.

She wears black and grey striped pants, a black sweater and large
black Dior heels. She speaks in a raspy voice, the kind that sounds
like she’s smoked two packets of unfiltered Camels all her life.

Of Greek and Armenian descent, Field’s relationship with Sarah Jessica
Parker began when the actor starred in Miami Rhapsody in 1995 and
Field was employed as the costume designer.

Parker demanded that Field design the clothes for her character Carrie
Bradshaw in Sex and the City, and her work has since been nominated for
five Emmys (with one win). She is also costume designer for Ugly Betty.

You seem to predict trends a long time before they hit …

People say I do that. But there’s no plan or strategy or consciousness
on my part to predict trends. I just put out original work and it’s
prolific, and so somewhere along the line there’ll be things that
people take to in a big way and they become a trend. But I don’t
predict it. The one thing I’ve learned is that for something to become
a trend, it helps if it’s something that has universal appeal. For
example, a flower, or a name necklace as opposed to a bustier. You
know, something that’s easy for people.

Who is the easiest or most difficult cast member to dress?

Well, originally I would say that Cynthia [Nixon] was a little
difficult to dress because of her body shape and her lack of
interest. But she fixed her shape and she became interested, so I
think she’s gonna run away with the movie.

You shot the movie in September and the movie’s coming out next
month. How did you manage to pick up the clothes and accessories so
that they’d be fashionable?

I never do that. If I tried to do that, I would fail. I just tried
to have little stories for each girl, and then I just tried to dress
them to look good. Of course I pick things from this season, but then
I pick things from 10 years ago. Or whatever. And you mix it all up
and you make a new look that will not get old because it’s original,
and it pertains strictly to this character. I’m not selling clothes.

What’s the one thing you would never wear?

Itchy wool. I read that you said Sarah Jessica Parker has a perfect
body. No one has a better body, of all the people, actresses that I
have ever met. Her muscles are toned, her shoulders are broad, her
ass is high, she’s like a perfect body. It’s little, but it’s perfect.

Do people ever stop you in the street and ask you for fashion advice?

Yeah. Or if I’m shopping, they’ll come over and say, ‘What do you
think I should buy?’

Do you get free Manolos for life?

No, I buy my Manolos. I do get a discount, in all fairness, and once in
a while, you know, [they] will send me a pair of shoes or whatever. But
in general, I’m not in it to get [free things]. I can afford to buy
whatever I want. And I don’t have very expensive taste. In general,
I have good taste, but my taste has not evolved around buying diamonds
and furs – that’s not really how I like to spend my money. It doesn’t
mean I don’t appreciate a nice coat like this, and work it.

What’s your most important piece of style advice?

In order to say somebody has style, it really means somebody has
originality that catches your eye. So, based on the definition of
what I think of as style, my advice would be to tap into yourself,
who you are, how you feel, learn to find your assets, recognise them,
and work them.

Do you have a favourite designer?

I don’t have a favorite designer. I love John Galliano because he
is keeping the flame of fashion burning. He’s the biggest one that
does that. I like him [because he sees] fashion as an art, not only
as an industry.

Who do you think is the kind of quintessential style icon of all time?

Cleopatra. Two thousand years and there’s still an image out there.

Which actress needs your advice badly right now?

I’m not going to answer that!