Why New York Fashion Week Reminds Us of Our Old Fashion Darlings
It’s Day 1 of New York Fashion Week! And what better way to pay tribute than to remember our onscreen fashionistas?
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There’s this scene in Sex and the City (the series) where Carrie’s turning down an offer to feature on the runway at New York Fashion Week. Her horrified, well-meaning friend Charlotte turns to her and says: “But you LIVE for fashion!” “I do not LIVE for fashion,” Carrie returns, voice already reedy in the absence of a defence – till Charlotte clinches it with – “Really? How many fashion weeks did you drag me to this summer?” “Seven,” is the pat reply. “What’s your point?”
The irony isn’t lost on Charlotte – nor is it on us. Carrie Bradshaw lived and breathed fashion, as did her posse of Louboutin-ed women – and the New York Fashion Week is inevitably just a hop, skip and jump away.
It wasn’t just SATC – a show which inspired as many future fashionistas as it weeded out the weak.
Fashion’s been a powerful part of film and television for decades.
New York Fashion Week is right at the top of the list for every starry-eyed designer and photographer – and occasionally, a fan hoping to catch a glimpse of Sarah Jessica Parker’s ankles or a PETA activist throwing paint at fur coats. (Yes, that happened).
NYFW is one of the “Big Four” fashion weeks in the world (the others are Milan, Paris and London) – a bi-annual event, held in February and September.
So on this, the glamorous first day of the New York Fashion Week, here’s a little list of fashion-inspired films and TV shows that oughta get you through. (If you, like me, didn’t score either flight or ramp tickets, that is):
Sex and the City
Look no further than THE original mecca of all things gossamery and shiny. The four girls on SATC lit up our screens and maxed out our credit cards throughout the early years of the millennium. Manohlo Blahnik will let you know that Carrie Bradshaw single-handedly put him on the map, as the go-to shoe designer for single gals over the world.
The show sported a number of fashion weeks during its run, but none were more delightful than the NYFW itself which saw our fave Bradshaw take to the ramp (where she then proceeded to fall like a fish and rise – like any good fashion disaster story.)
As to the rest of the posse, name a label and chances are one of the girls wore it.
The Devil Wears Prada
This one was a veritable “I Spy” of famous fashion designers under one Miranda Presley roof. The icy editor-in-chief of Runway had us both hating and envying her, as she trotted from one fashion week to another: New York, Paris, Milan – all got honourable mentions. The clothes and shoes were to die for, and the movie not-too-subtly showed the psychological downside of a crazed industry, where a “size-two” Anne Hathaway finally calls it quits.
Did you say you wanted to be in the biz and didn’t have the spunk for it?“That’s all.”
Aisha
Bollywood’s own cross between Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, Sonam Kapoor-starrer Aisha did everything it could to stay true to its lead (Ms Kapoor herself). As a result, we had our own answer to Sarah Jessica Parker – with Aisha strutting to DLF Emporio on a whim, wearing Dior and Chanel – and an Anamika Khanna lehenga (to Indianise things, we suppose). The movie made little ripples in terms of great acting (there was none), but it certainly set the fashion bar very, very high in Bollywood.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Surprised to see this on the list? It’s a little old and off-the-rack we know (you will excuse our fashion puns), but this one’s a classic. I believe the first time I realised I was a big girl with a job, I wanted to dress like Rachel.
If there’s one thing a girl loves, it’s affordable fashion. And F.R.I.E.N.D.S – without throwing labels at our face – did just that. Sure, Rachel worked at Bloomingdale’s and later at Ralph Lauren’s, but neither of the three girls went “Heeeeeey, this is Prada!” anytime any of the three men gave ’em a playful punch. Rachel also attended a whole host of fashion weeks and towards the end, wanted to move to Paris, which she revered as the fash cap o’ the world.
The best part? You could probably rummage in your closet or make a quick dash to Sarojini to channel a Monica, Rachel, Phoebe any day.
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