How Two ‘Sex And The City’ Obsessives Bring The Series’s Unsung Moments To Life

By Liana Satenstein

Any Sex and the City fan can recognise the big bang fashion moments on the show, like the John Galliano-era Dior newspaper print dress Carrie Bradshaw wears when she bumps into Mr Big's wife, Natasha. But there are plenty more under-appreciated looks that diehards go wild for, like a flirty strappy dress by Elisa Jimenez or the XXL Chanel sunglasses an extra is wearing in the episode where Carrie falls off a runway. Some fans, such as Serena Morris of the account @shes__underrated and Olivia Haroutounian of @shop_reallifeasliv, go beyond ID’ing Carrie's looks, and unearth the lesser known characters and designers who have featured on the show.

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Morris and Haroutounian both initially were introduced to the series by older women in their family who were fans. Morris – a 28-year-old consultant and the founder of @shes_underrated, an Instagram dedicated to highlighting Black and women of colour in film and music – caught glimpses of SATC at her grandmother's house as a child. "It was revolutionary, there was no other show that was exclusively talking about sex and dating with that level of fashion at the time. So she and all of her girlfriends were watching it obsessively. And would go to lunch and talk about it."

Haroutounian, a 24-year-old vintage dealer, saw snippets as a child at her aunt's house. As a sophomore in high school, she watched the show in its entirety. "It was the first time I saw personal styling on television. I liked how SJP [Sarah Jessica Parker] played that character," she says.

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Morris and Haroutounian took a more obsessive interest in the show later on in life, as they started to research the looks and what they represented. There have always been iconic moments that live on in SATC lore, like Carrie's oversized boyfriend white button up that she wore as a dress, that burned-in-the-brain tutu, or the aforementioned Dior newspaper dress that sold for over $16,000 at auction in November. But Haroutounian looks beyond many of these hyped-about moments, and painstakingly researches the clothes. (In fact, Haroutounian notes that the auctioned newspaper print dress was not indeed the same dress that Bradshaw wore in the series. "Hers was a bit shorter," she says.)

Haroutounian focuses on unearthing independent designers, such as Michael & Hushi, Pierrot, Robert Funk, and Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field's own eponymous label. She believes that the way Field integrated lesser-known designers into Carrie's looks is what gave her a stylish edge – and allowed her to resonate culturally. "Patricia Field used so many independent designers on the show which helped define Carrie's eclectic New York style. It was a direct interpretation of what she saw out on the streets and in the clubs," says Haroutounian. "Her using designers like Michael & Hushi who created the lace dress she wears in the Los Angeles episode gave Carrie range. She wore whatever she wanted, however she wanted and that mentality has stuck with fashion lovers forever."

Haroutounian connected with New York-based designer and artist Elisa Jimenez who created several strappy pieces on the show and remade Carrie's legendary "naked dress". Throughout Haroutounian's research, she discovered that the runway show in season one, episode two, "Models and Mortals", was Maja Hanson's, the same designer responsible for Rose McGowan's naked dress. There are also several designs by Pierrot, a knitwear designer of the late ’90s and early ’00s whose pieces appeared several times in the show's run. "He was a knitwear designer who made really kinky pieces but also grandma knits," says the dealer. Haroutounian also tracked down the iconic ruffle-trimmed, floral-embroidered white dress Carrie wears when she touches down in Los Angeles in season three, episode thirteen while wearing two different coloured heels. Haroutounian identified the dress as a piece by the label Michael & Hushi by Persian designer Hushidar "Hushi" Mortezaie and Michael Sears. A favourite of Patricia Field's, the label's designs have appeared in other episodes of the show.

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Morris delves into how the show's stylist Patricia Field brought characters to life through subtle clothing details that play into some of their most chaotic or rigid traits. "I like the real movement. Like when Carrie finds out that Big is getting engaged to Natasha, she falls and bumps into the waitress while looking amazing but is also a hot mess," says Morris. "I get inspired by that because that is me. We are all erratic and crazy and it does such a good job of capturing the emotion of being young and single or at any age and navigating life and dressing for it accordingly." In many of her @shes__underrated posts, Morris chronicles and moodboards the good, bad and ugly scenarios in the show. Because at least, it's all done with style.

The original show's lack of diversity has been addressed by the actors and creators on the series, and while that affects how Morris watches the show, she still explores those rare moments when Black and women of colour make cameos on SATC. Even if their portrayal is problematic, she highlights their beauty and style. Morris takes note of even the most subtle cameos. "The silver lining I have taken while watching the show and the one thing that I pay close attention to and hold in my heart is the strong and impactful presence that those short term characters have shown on screen – particularly the Black women that are quickly featured," says Morris. "They are second to none in comparison to the leading ladies, and truly make the most of their screen time – whether it's the way they speak, their outfits, their posture. I can feel the energy and it's moving."

Morris sent me an article about actor Sundra Oakely's experience playing the chef sister of Samantha's paramour, a Black music producer, on season three, episode five, "No Ifs, Ands, or Butts." Rife with stereotypes, the episode is considered one of the series's most cringe-worthy, but Morris points out that Oakley still looked fabulous. "She is in a red dress and is so powerful. I’m like, ‘Wow, Pat really did her thing. She didn't let anyone overshadow – maybe they were an extra but they competed," says Morris. "They showed up, just as much as the other women as well."

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In another post, Morris highlights American-Korean comedian Margaret Cho's turn as a publicist in season four, episode two, titled "The Real Me" in which Carrie falls on the runway. Morris captioned her image with: "This performance doesn't get the credit it deserves. The nails! The attitude! The swearing! The job! The drama! The brows! The boyfriend! Margaret Cho did what needed to be done. What's your favourite line of hers?"

One of her favourite moments happens when Natasha and her friend bump into Carrie and her crew. "Natasha walks in with her friend who is a gorgeous Black girl. She has her ponytail pulled back and has a red Fendi baguette and she just gives them this look that is so fierce, and Charlotte is just like ‘Wow, did you see the way her friend looked at us?’"

Ultimately, Morris likes to create a mood, build her own stylish character, and develop a world based on moments she loves – no matter how big or small. "You sort of create this essence of ‘I have places to go, things to do, people to see, these are the shoes,’" says Morris. "I want to move effortlessly but with intention."

By Christian Allaire