Sunday, June 1, 2008

The Scene
Finally. Sex and the City Sunday has arrived. The ultimate day of worship!

Words could never express the anticipation I've been feeling for the last month. Have missed the ladies so. Can't believe it's been four years.

When I assembled my own fabulous foursome last week, instantly realized that we fit the SATC foursome to a T. Clearly a sign.


My mom=Charlotte
A class act, consistently proper, lady-like, adorable in her naivette

My Mr. Diabolina=Miranda
A wise lawyer, favors logic over emotion, unflinchingly loyal, mannish

My Sable Crow=Samantha
An uber successful tiger in the boardroom, naughty kitten in the bedroom


Me=Carrie (duh!)
Curly Sue writer with a panache for fashion & questioning human nature

Despite being an SATC uberfan, I went into the movie with low expectations. Feared the traditional movie format would make everything wrap up too nicely, too neatly. One of the things I loved about the series is that it allowed for life's messiness.

And I was unfortunately right. But thankfully Jean Bean was more right. She wrote me on opening day from New York saying:"It was good. I laughed, I cried."

So did I. It was FanFUCKINGtastic. Thought the movie as a whole was a fan's wet dream.

So did my three cohorts. Seeing it with them was perfection. They are truly my everythings.

As I looked at the three of them, thought about our bonds to each other, I crystallized what it is that resonated so strongly with me about Sex and the City the series.

At it's core, it was a show about intimacy. Yes, duh, intimacy in the form of sex but more importantly emotional intimacy. Emotional intimacy with men and with girlfriends and with ourselves.

It was about that not always pretty journey of self discovery. It was about how our most intimate relationships mold us and define us. It was about who we are to the people we love - how we support them and fail them and sustain them. There are few shows that tackle such heady subject matter. Far fewer that do it with both flash and substance, wit and depth, shoes and sex.

Also loved that it focused 100 percent on the single woman's point of view. I have never thought of myself as the marrying kind. And felt very marginalized for that in my 20s. Have been made to feel like the odd woman out quite a bit. SATC made me feel included.

I did a story in grad school about SATC joining the ranks of such groundbreaking shows as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Murphy Brown. Artistic representations of cultural moments that began to also influence those moments. Art imitating life imitating art.

All created characters that were wonderfully multidimensional - strong but vulnerable, frivolous and intelligent, broken yet whole. And shows like these also chip away at the status quo. Slowly but surely.

They show us that despite thousands of years of history that would make us believe otherwise, we actually don't need to be someone's mother or someone's wife to have a full, interesting, meaningful life. We can choose to be or choose not to be. It's not a given anymore. Today we have the right to be our authentic selves - whether that's traditional or transgressive.

Ultimately, I think I was most moved by the scene outside the theater - before and after the movie. There were throngs of women. They dressed up. They came together. They were part of a cultural phenomenon, they were part of something bigger than themselves. Powerful to see - especially during an election year.

Realized that ultimately this is what I would love to create. With my writing, with my life. Something so powerful that it speaks to a cross section of women. Something that shows women alternatives, that gives women a voice, that reflects how beautiful and strong and nuanced the female psyche is.

Something that emphasizes how important our relationships to each other are. How important it is to build each other up in a world that's always poised to knock us down.


Felt super inspired today. Super inspired to create characters and tell stories and BE inspiring.

So much to do, so little time :)



The Outfit
Forever 21 strapless dress
Beige wrap sweater

The Accessories
Me&Ro necklace and earrings
Forever 21 necklace and bangles
Micheal Kors belt
YSL tote
Jeffery Campbell gladiators

The Grade
A



The Commentary

I dressed up for Patricia Field today. I dressed up for the woman who brought Manolo Blahnik into the the vocabulary of the masses. I dressed up for the woman who showed us we could look fabulous at any age, mix high and low effortlessly, love the frivolity of fashion and still have real depth of character.

I wore something very SEXy. Something I hope Carrie would rock. Maybe if she was a 30 year old Latina born and bred in LA.


Interesting that the dress is in the same color family as the dress in the movie poster. Totally unconscious on my part.








Added the belt because I know Pat Field made such a big deal about that on Oprah. Wore mine low slung instead of at my natural waist. I just can't rock that look. Not built for it.


Was bemused by all the women at the movie wearing flower pins. Remember those? I was all about them at my first job. What a sheep!


Loved that the first shot of Carrie in the movie is this caricature version of the flower. An overblown blossom to represent how massive the trend got. That Pat Field is a GENIUS.




Though I never considered wearing my own flower corsages of yesteryear, I did think about wearing my "I'm a Carrie" pin. What a nerd!


But instead opted for the layered necklace look again. So pretty with the strapless neckline. My mom loved.





For the record, my favorite fashion moments in the movie were the Vogue photoshoot, the Posen bridesmaids dresses, the Heaven on 5th closet reveal, and the fashion parade of Carrie's old looks.




Loved Carrie's shoes per usual. The wedding ones kinda resembled the new ones that I debuted today.

Got them resale on Friday. Cost $58. Look treacherous but are SUPER COMFORTABLE. Never heard of Jeffrey Campbell but he appears to be right in my price range. So happy to have made his acquaintance.





My mommy was in her new quilted Marc zip up and snazzy gold accents.


Oh and those delish Marcs I got her for Mother's Day. Loving that she loved the movie. And gets along so well with Sable Crow and Mr. Diabolina and well, all my friends


Today was really Sex and the City meets Joy Luck Club meets Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Think that's the foundation for my book. They say write what you know, right? :)



p.s. The next movie that I'm pretty stoked about is - duh - Kung Fu Panda. The ads are like looking in a mirror. Mr. D and I already have a double date booked with Rocket Man and MChu to watch it and eat some Panda Express. Heaven.



Love me some Chanel bears. And some red soled heels.






p.s. Saddened by YSL's passing today. What a tortured genius. Was the last great living designer from the Coco Chanel and Christian Dior era. You know he inherited the Dior house at the age of 21???

And talk about influencing gender roles and how women perceived themselves. He gave the working women the pantsuit in the 60s. He deconstructed the masculinity of the tuxedo and gave women an ultra feminine evening wear option. He truly changed the shape of fashion for women. Instead of restrict them, he let them flow.

Felt pleased that I was carrying a purse of his today. Felt fitting. Love that a great artist's spirit somehow lives on in me.

13 comments:

TINA said...

love, love, love the dress. so sexy and chic and glam with the belt.
i still have yet to see the movie, but from what i heard, it's fantastic.

tam pham said...

glad you all loved the movie! again, i'm floored with the adorableness of your mommy.

Jean Bean said...

The living spirit of a great artist! That is the BEST excuse for buying luxury goods I've ever heard!

Sable Crow said...

Such a pleasure to experience a cultural phenomenon with you. And Mr. Diabolina, and your mom.

And lovely that I'm Samantha. She's my foil in a way; comfortable being--choosing to be!--who she is despite convention. Willing to see her destiny according to her own terms. And powerful and sexy. Love you for seeing me and holding a mirror.

Loved the little gasps and cries I heard from the seat behind me during the movie--you are a Carrie.

SC

Long Live YSL. When Giorgio Armani passes I don't know what I'm going to do.

Ann Marie said...

If you haven't seen it yet, Sundance Channel has previously aired an excellent documentary about YSL. I have a feeling they will be re-airing in the upcoming weeks due to his passing. :(

dapotato said...

loved this entry a lot. very well said.

LBIC said...

i loooooved the movie. It was great seeing so many people in my theater, especially women. In the row behind and to the left of us was a pair of little old women and they loved the movie, i found it kind of hilarious and cute. I mean old as in pretty much near ninety, too.

R said...

Oh my gosh! I didn't realize your Mom was so little before now. Wow! So cute that she was in on all of the SATC stuff. Happy you had fun being a part of the phenomenon.

weezermonkey said...

I am dead at "mannish." SO FUNNY.

Also, do you know what Kung Fu Panda's name is? DO YOU???

Blue Bird said...

When Kate and I went to see the movie, there were mostly women (of course), but there were a few boys in there. I'm pretty sure I was the only one of the guys in the theater who got all short of breath and did tiny little claps with my hands during the opening credits.

Kate and I have talked about this before - which of the SATC girls are we? Kate doesn't really fit any of them perfectly, but she's probably the most like Charlotte. I'm a Carrie. No doubt about it.

Oh, and I always think of you when I see the Kung Fu Panda previews. It's like I'm getting a Diabolina shout out through my TV.

xo
Mr. T

MissJordyPants said...

Love how you write. About everything. Absolutely stunning!

Tiffany said...

love the dress. you wear it well.

I also adore that you are a fan of the wrap sweaters, I have so many and I love wearing them with jeans, dresses, everything. I don't see many women utilize them as much as I do, except for you :). They just look great with everything.

Kate said...

A million things I could say (great post) but thing I will say is this.

I agree that a wonderful element of the series is the single woman perspective. As a married one, I was always able to view this show, and their experiences as the other side of the coin. The other side of my own choices at times. But also the married/single issue. Which, as you know, can be such a wall between women. Since SATC is constantly challenging viewers to lose the judgment, I'd like to think in a small way we're understanding each other better.

That's as deep as I get tonight. :)

PS - Love the low belt. I haven't practiced that at all but I'll need to.

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