Sarah Jessica Parker has been spotted hailing cabs in New York City wearing Marimekko and Swedish Hasbeens. But how deep does her love for all things Nordic really run? And just like that, we asked her!
Sarah Jessica Parker is leaning back in a lounge chair, dressed in a minimalistic black and white long sleeved summer dress by Gabriella Hearst and discussing Carrie’s fashion moments with costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago. The new season of And Just Like That is premiering simultaneously with the 25th anniversary of Sex and the City and the busy actor is abnormally busy right now.
"Only Carrie can get away with carrying a pigeon bird clutch," Rogers says jokingly to the audience who have gathered to get a glimpse of the actor in Soho, Manhattan. "I’ve certainly learned from Carrie about being brave and courageous and about how to not play by anybody else’s rules when it comes to how you dress when you’re walking out the door," Parker says. "And when you’re lucky enough to have access to wear something, you do it as long as it’s right for the character. I’m as excited about the hits as I am about the misses, to be honest. If you say no, you never have the possibility of a surprise," she says.
Parker, Rogers and Santiago are together on stage to mark the opening of the Sex and the City Experience: a four-day long pop-up exhibition celebrating the iconic show, showcasing – amongst other things – life size versions of Carrie's New York City stoop, the newsstand where she bought her Vogues, as well as her bedroom, complete with cigarette butts in the ashtray and the nostalgic wired telephone on the nightstand. And Carrie’s wardrobe, obviously!
A showcase of some of the most iconic outfits worn by Parker throughout the Sex and the City series . Photo: Getty Images for Max®
Carrie's most legendary fashion moments line the exhibition: the pink American Apparel-top and the tutu that she wears in the iconic title sequence, the blue Manolo Blahnik-pumps that Mr. Big proposes to her with, and the more recently featured JW Anderson pigeon clutch, just to name a few.
But Parker – arguably the real-life Carrie– loves to hail taxi cabs and explore the city dressed in Nordic designs, including Marimekko dresses and Swedish Hasbeens clogs. As a matter of fact, she "loves all things Nordic”, she tells me when doing press rounds for the new season of spin-off series And Just Like That.
I’m very inspired by Scandinavian architecture and design. Growing up that was a huge influence.
Sarah Jessica Parker
"I love Sweden! It’s a place that I’ve spent some time in and I love it for its extraordinary nature and environment," Parker enthuses. "And I love Stockholm, for the foods and fashions that are unique to the area. I’ve spent time in Södermalm and the neighborhoods surrounding it are incredible!" she goes on.
Parker says that the Nordics have been part of her life for as long as Parker can remember. "I’m very inspired by Scandinavian architecture and design. Growing up that was a huge influence in our lives and in my parents’ lives… you know, just the way that they looked at homes and architecture and space and light," she says.
Sarah Jessica Parker speaks at the Sex and the City Experience opening with costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago.
The actor tells me that her childhood home had Scandinavian furniture and design and that her mother used to collect dinnerware from Dansk, which at the time had Danish mid-century modern artist and designer Jens Quistgaard at the creative helm. "Dansk was a huge thing in our house, we had Dansk dinnerware and my mother always tried to find it in affordable places and we also had Scandinavian lighting at home," she says.
Parker, who seems genuinely happy to not have to answer another question about how it feels to play an ageing Carrie “Would we ask a man that?” I overhear her responding to another journalist), cements her love for the region with another Scandi favourite: "We have to talk about your fireplaces! This might be crazy but I love the Swedish tile fireplaces!" she gushes. "And never mind the literature and art… The art that has come from that part of the world is just astonishing. And the filmmakers! Oh my gosh, you have such amazing filmmakers!"