When Sarah Jessica Parker launched her shoe collection at Nordstrom in downtown Seattle, she looked every bit the part of a fashion icon.
But that doesn’t mean she spent a fortune on her outfit.
“It’s an old Anne Klein jumper, from a thrift store,” she said. “I always liked thrift stores. Some of it was out of necessity because I didn’t have a lot of money, I couldn’t have bought new clothing at a nice store.”
Now that she can, Parker still believes in mixing high-end with resale.
A trait she shares with her most popular character, “Carrie” on Sex and the City.
When the show started, the budget was small and the wardrobe designer consigned a lot of pieces.
“Maybe because of that connection, the necessity of thrift with Carrie’s sort of reckless indulgence in luxury and high price clothing, kind of helped us tell the story,” Parker said.
Thrifting helped Parker tell her own story, too.
“There was a place in New York City called Alice Underground,” she said. “It was a thrift store on the Upper West Side, and they just had these big trunks, and there were hundreds and hundreds of dresses, thrown in, balled up and wrinkled in various states of neglect. But I knew from the beginning that nobody else would have that dress.”
To this day, she believes clothing is a means to personal expression.
“In the younger part of your life, you spend a lot of years just trying to fit in, just trying to fit in, just trying to be like everyone else. And then this shift happens for most people, and then they spend the rest of their lives saying I’m actually different, I’m actually myself,” Parker said. “It illustrates or expresses or conveys that you’re your own person. And sometimes, you can’t use words, or you don’t have the confidence to say that. Sometimes what you wear helps tell somebody something.”
Month: August 2014
Video: Sarah Jessica Parker on Re-Sale Style
For Sarah Jessica Parker, food usually involves family.
And the actresses’s family, which includes husband Matthew Broderick, son James Wilkie and twins Tabitha and Loretta, must have been very pleased with her latest meal: delicious, juicy burgers.
Taking a cue from New York Times food editor Sam Sifton’s recent article on making the perfect burger, SJP posted an Instagram photo of two perfect patties sizzling in a cast iron pan (per Sifton’s advice).
“Thank you @samsifton for changing our lives. We all have never loved a burger so much. This eve’s I cooked all by myself!” she captioned the mouth-watering shot.
So why a heavy cast-iron pan? Sifton says, “Cook outside if you like, heating the pan over the fire of a grill, but never on the grill itself. The point is to allow rendering beef fat to gather around the patties as they cook, like a primitive high-heat confit.”
For more helpful tips, Sifton called upon burger masters like The Chew’s Michael Symon, who recommended steering clear of the “lean” patties. “You want to get up around 30 percent fat,” said Symon, who warns against burger “shrinkage” and recommends home chefs try for blends that contain from 20 to 25 percent fat.
“The bun-to-burger ration is very important,” advised Symon. “You want a soft bun, like a challah or potato, but whichever you use it shouldn’t overwhelm the burger. They should be as one.”
To see the full burger recipe Sarah Jessica cooked up last night, click here.
Nordstrom, Inc. announced that five additional Nordstrom stores will carry Sarah Jessica Parker’s eponymous collection of shoes and handbags this fall. SJP Collection, launched in February 2014 exclusively with the retailer, will be available at Nordstrom Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Wash; Old Orchard in Skokie, Ill.; Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif.; Somerset Collection in Troy, Mich.; and Barton Creek Square in Austin, Texas, in addition to 25 stores already carrying the line and nordstrom.com/SJP.
She will present the collection to Nordstrom customers as part of a three-day tour from August 21-23 at Nordstrom Houston Galleria, Tysons Corner, and Roosevelt Field. The tour is a continuation of her whistle-stop tour in March, which included Nordstrom stores in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Dallas.
Parker’s dedication to classic, ladylike shoe silhouettes in unexpected colors carries through in her fall collection, which features pumps, booties and riding books in playful hues like French navy, red, olive and coral. Customer-favorite styles from spring, including the Lady and Carrie pumps will also be available in new colors. Shoes range in price from $285 to $695. The collection also features five new handbag styles for fall ranging from $220-$495.
Parker continued her tradition of naming shoes in the SJP Collection after women and men who inspire her. Highlights from the fall collection include:
• The Blythe Pump, $375 – “Named for the great Blythe Danner, this beautiful shoe exudes a sort of sophistication. A metropolitan personality. I’m thrilled with the inky blue and the shoe’s proud silhouette.”
• The Pat Boot, $695 – “This is my sexy boot. Try getting it off me! I’ll find a reason to wear it as often as possible. Named for Pat Field, who has been an enormous influence on me and millions of others. Without her contributions, Carrie Bradshaw would have been incomplete.”
• The Serge bootie, $455 – “Named for Serge Normant, [the hair stylist] with whom I’ve worked for 14 years. This style joins the first collection of SJP Collection booties. I love the suede/color combination and how it sits on the leg. And I think it’s very modern.”
• The Rachel pump, $355 – “Named for my sister. I think this is an exquisite shoe. A great version of a slingback that is wickedly sexy but still ladylike.”
Sarah Jessica Parker Co-Designs “Ballerina Butterfly” Brooch To Be Auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong
Contemporary fine jewelry artist Cindy Chao, globally recognized for her intricate designs of rare, colorful gemstones, has collaborated with actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist Sarah Jessica Parker on a singular jewelry creation. The 2014 Black Label Masterpiece “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch (Est. HK$6 – 7 million / US$750,000 – 950,000), co-designed by Chao and Parker, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale on 7 October. Net proceeds from its sale will benefit the New York City Ballet.
Parker and Chao came to admire each other’s respective work as creative artists during Chao’s 2011 Masterpiece Exhibition in Beijing. Their friendship and mutual respect led to discussions of a potential collaboration. It was decided during the opening of Chao’s boutique in Beijing in 2012, where Parker was an honorary guest, that the pair would combine their creative talents, working together to design a unique jewelry piece for charity.
The Black Label “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch was completed with heart and soul over the course of two years, during which Parker and Chao held several design meetings, reviewed sketches, wax models and gemstones together. Chao began the creation process by building a wax model of the piece, as she does with all of her Black Label Masterpiece creations. The “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch melds together Chao’s craftsmanship as one of the jewelry world’s premier artists along with Parker’s discerning eye for style and design.
The resulting creation is the 2014 Black Label Masterpiece “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch, constructed of a titanium and 18-karat gold body, featuring a cushion-cut fancy brown diamond weighing 26.27 carats, three rough brown diamond slices weighing 47.71 carats in total, three pieces of conch pearls weighing 7.25 carats in total, surrounded by 4,698 diamonds and fancy-colored diamonds weighing 98.09 carats in total, completing the majesty of the Black Label Masterpiece Butterfly. The “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch is inspired by the graceful beauty and elegance of ballet, displaying the sensibility, delicate structure, strength and mellifluous movement exhibited within a ballerina. The brooch can be worn either right-side up or upside-down to create two silhouettes of exceptional splendor.
“Sarah Jessica and I are two very different creative minds sharing the same artistic vision and passion,” expresses Chao. “She truly appreciates the essence and soul of my creations, and I admire her innovative yet classic view on fashion and style. My annual Butterflies carry special meaning for me. Collaborating with Sarah Jessica for a cause we both deeply care for and believe in makes this Ballerina Butterfly all the more special in my heart.” The Black Label Masterpiece Butterflies are one of Chao’s coveted motifs and revered by collectors worldwide. Chao has designed a Black Label Masterpiece Butterfly every year since 2008, symbolizing her metamorphosis as an artist. This year marks the tenth anniversary of CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel, lending great personal meaning to this Black Label Masterpiece Butterfly. The “Ballerina Butterfly” is Chao’s first art jewel collaboration, evoking a sense of infinite creative possibilities, portraying a passion for beauty, shared by both Chao and Parker.
“I have had the great pleasure of knowing Cindy and her work for several years, and it has been an incredibly special experience to collaborate with her,” states Parker. “Cindy’s jewelry designs are true works of art; they capture the eye and imagination in a memorable way. I am so pleased to partner with her on this project, which benefits the wonderful work of the New York City Ballet, an organization that is close to my heart.”
“New York City Ballet is honored to be a part of this wonderful collaboration between Sarah Jessica Parker and Cindy Chao,” said NYCB’s Executive Director Katherine Brown. “As a member of our Board of Directors, Sarah Jessica has created a number of exciting initiatives to both build new audiences and generate philanthropic support. We are thrilled that she and Cindy have chosen to make NYCB the inspiration for and benefactor of the sale of this exquisite “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch.
QUEK Chin Yeow, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and Chairman of International Jewellery, Asia said, “Sotheby’s is proud and honored to be part of this exciting project, intertwining bejeweled creativity and the Performance Arts with the world of art auction. In offering this unique ‘Ballerina Butterfly Brooch’ in Hong Kong, it undoubtedly becomes a global phenomenon.”
The “Ballerina Butterfly” brooch made its debut during Haute Couture week in Paris, July 7-10. It will travel throughout Asia before going to New York, where Chao and Parker will serve as Co-Chairs of the New York City Ballet’s Fall Gala on September 23, 2014. The brooch will then return to Hong Kong in October, prior to the auction.
This is huge! Sarah Jessica Parker will present the Fall 2014 SJP Collection at Nordstrom Tysons Corner Center on August 22 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. That means you can shop her ladylike line of shoes and handbags, and SJP will be available to meet with customers and sign their SJP purchases throughout the event, as time permits.
Parker toured the country earlier this year for her exclusive SJP line with Nordstrom, and lucky us, now she’s venturing to the D.C. area. Parker’s collection of shoes is made by artisans in Italy, and range in price from $350 for
a pump to $695 for a knee-high boot. The line also includes handbags, ranging in price from $220 for a crossbody bag to $495 for a tote. Here’s something to know for Parker’s Nordstrom Tyson Corner appearance next Friday: due to limited time, Parker will only be able to sign items from the SJP Collection for customers who have made a purchase.
Sarah Jessica Parker to Visit Nordstrom Galleria
Great news for stylish ones!
Actress and designer Sarah Jessica Parker (of HBO’s famed fashionable series, “Sex and the City”) will visit Nordstrom Galleria in Salon Shoes 4-5 p.m. Aug. 21 to show off the fall offerings from her SJP Collection shoes and handbag line. She’ll meet with customers and sign their SJP purchases throughout the event, as time permits.
The collection is available exclusively at select Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com/SJP, the SJP Collection is an assortment of ladylike and polished shoes crafted by artisans in Italy. Prices range from $350 for a pump to $695 for a knee-high boot. The line also features city-chic handbags that range in price from $220 for a crossbody style to $495 for a tote.
Nordstrom Houston Galleria is located at 5192 Hidalgo Street.
