Sex and the City Movie: Complete And Utter Fashion Overload

In Full Flower: Carrie's Back.

Full disclosure: I saw the Sex and the City movie this past Friday night at a press screening here in NYC. I can’t give away any plot points but I can say it’s pretty damn fun. There’s drama and major life changes for Carrie and the gals. (Expect more on all of this later...)

But I’ve got to say the biggest impact made by the movie may just be the crazazy over-the-top visuals fashion-wise. It’s like a big fruit-salad of color and couture exploding all over your face with every new scene.

As has been reported, Sarah Jessica Parker has about 81 costume changes throughout the flick. She first appears sporting an updated version of her trademark flower (see above), and this one is straight out of little costume-shop of horrors. It’s gonna eat her, I think. But then it doesn’t. (Maybe that'll be on the DVD?)

Here’s a video all about the insane clothes that costume designer (and fabulously out NYC icon Patricia Field) corralled for this uber-glam film.

Sex and the City's writer/director Michael Patrick King flanked by his muses.

The shoes! The colors! And it’s not all about the women. The first time uber-gay Standford Blatch appears (and he’s never been one to be meek when it comes to his attire) he looks like he’s wearing some kind of Pantone color-wheel clown suit by Burberry. Hurrah!

And some of the NYC press chimed in similarly (via NY Magazine) today:

“Costume designer/stylist Patricia Field fills every scene with enough labels to keep any fashionista salivating,” Colin Bertram in the NY Daily News. “Me, I got lost during the first fashion montage of clothes that would have made Dynasty look modest,” adds FoxNews.com’s Roger Friedman. And another critic at Friday’s screening declared: “Women wept, cheered. It’s the Neiman Marcus catalog on steroids!”

My favorite fashion moment? Carrie’s mega-ridiculous “Bridal Couture photo-shoot for Vogue” montage. She poses and preens in a sequence of gowns by (gasp!) Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Oscar de la Renta and Christian Dior before settling on a demure number by Vivienne Westwood. It’s ridiculous and gorgeous.

Carrie in her Vivienne Westwood wedding wear. Cute, right?

I also love this dishy bit on the NY Times style blog, The Moment, which popped up last week. Their blogger goes off on and critiques a promo pic for the film, and it's catty.

But, hey... Carrie, Samantha and the gals can take care of themselves, right? And proving they really have nothing to worry about, today's Daily News spoiler-free 4-star review ends on this gushy note: Just like any great night out with best friends, "Sex and the City: The Movie" is awash with so much love that it lingers long after the last cocktail runs dry.

Cosmos for everyone!

For more major fashion coverage, check out the NewNowNext Design page on LOGOonline.com.