13 years after the end of that same series, Sarah Jessica Parker is vice chairman of the New York City Ballet, co-chair of the Met Gala, friend of Anna Wintour and a successful entrepreneur. We tried to figure out how she managed to convert the power of Carrie Bradshaw's image into her own fashion authority far beyond the glossy label of “style icons”.
In 2010, a Vogue US correspondent in an interview timed to coincide with the release of the second full-length "Sex and the City", called Sarah Jessica Parker "a phenomenally influential force (and a locomotive of merchandise)." Even then, it was amazing: the last season of the series was released in 2004, and since then the actress has not had a single bright new role or project, the success of which could be compared with the success of four New York girlfriends. Okay, no TV show has ever been so influential in terms of fashion - at some point it seemed that Gossip Girl got close to the pedestal, but who now remembers what shoes Serena van der Woodsen wore? No one has a talisman against oblivion. Except for Parker.
There were four main characters in the legendary series, but only Sarah Jessica Parker managed to develop this gold mine. They say that with her business acumen, everything became clear even during the filming of Sex and the City - the actress wanted to become an executive producer (eventually getting both the position and several awards for it) and asked for an unprecedented $ 3.2 million for each episode … This impressed everyone except Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones), who demanded equal treatment of the heroines. Again, rumor has it that the conflict escalated and became the main reason why the release of the first feature film was delayed by several years. But Parker was not too embarrassed: immediately after filming ended, she became the face of GAP, signing the first contract in the history of the brand for several seasons at once. This earned her $ 38 million. In 2005, she released her first signature fragrance (which celebrity of the 2000s did not do that?), Then the first full meter came out, then the second, and then Parker took the fashion industry seriously.
For the past five years, the actress has been involved in fashion designers' collaborations with New York City Ballet costume designers and balls, timed to coincide with the start of the new theatrical season. She is in charge of the guest lists for the Met Gala (and then jokes with Wintour on the air: "If you only knew how Anna can stop with her eyes, but I talk too much!"). He also works on his own brand. Yes, every first celebrity makes clothes or cosmetics, but how many of the celebrity brands endorse Vogue US, supporting every brand news? Unsurprisingly, the Nordstrom department store has been queuing for the opening of Parker Corner since the night.
How did she do it? There are several reasons. First, it's still Sex and the City. No matter what skeptics say, it is still watched, revised and peered to the holes. Carrie is a role model for both women, who were also in their thirties when the show came out, and those who sneaked in from their parents after school (even if the same girls were watching Girls a few years later). Secondly, Sarah Jessica's love for money: she does not hide that, due to her poor childhood, she cannot overcome the fear of poverty, so profit is of great importance to her. Third, the ability to build connections with the right people. For example, the collaboration with the New York City Ballet, where the actress brought a lot of topical designers from Dries van Noten to Mary Katrantzu, raised the level of Parker's fashion expertise to a height unattainable for other celebrities not out of fashion. Then - friendship with Anna Wintour, which in itself gives a giant limit of trust on the part of the industry. For Parker, this resulted in co-chairmanship at the Costume Institute ball and, we suspect, several advertising contracts, and for both of them - in competent PR. It got to the point that the yellow press has been writing for several years that Sarah Jessica will replace Anna as editor-in-chief of Vogue US, although the actress refutes rumors from time to time.
But the main thing is that Parker herself delves into all business processes, and does not dump it on the marketing team. Sometimes it goes sideways for her: for example, before the release of the second part of the full-length "Sex and the City", the actress signed a contract with the well-deserved American brand Halston Heritage. The film began with a scene in which Sarah Jessica walked out of the house in a white brand dress and gold Christian Louboutin pumps. In general, Halston Heritage clothing has appeared in the tape several times. The actress appeared in the outfits of this brand on the red carpets (including at the Met Gala in 2010), but all this did not help: sales continued to fall. Sarah Jessica was hired not only as an ambassador, but also as a design consultant, so in 2011 the contract with her was terminated. Obviously, Parker has learned all the lessons of life and the principles of storytelling, because she launched her own line of SJP shoes by Sarah Jessica Parker in 2014 without a single mistake. She relentlessly reveals that the rep ribbon on the heel is a reference to the ribbons that were her only adornment during the lack of money. And the satin Manolo Blahnik shoes, in which the screen Carrie got married, was transformed by the real Carrie into dozens of copies and sells them three times cheaper than the original (by the way, the actress launched the brand with the former president of Manolo Blahnik). SJP recently launched a line of clothing and bags. Add to this the collaborations with designers, the brand's participation in New York Fashion Week and Sarah's outings in SJP shoes. Of course, Vogue US writes about each of them.
