NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Costume designer Patricia Field has never liked fashion rules.
The woman who famously combined a tutu with spiky heels on Sarah Jessica Parker in 鈥淪ex and the City,鈥� and made a plaid bucket hat cool on Lily Collins in 鈥淓mily in Paris鈥� has a way of making high fashion feel accessible to the masses. She explains how she does it in the new documentary, 鈥淗appy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field,鈥� which recently premiered at the .
The film is directed by Michael Selditch, who also directed the CNN docu-series 鈥滱merican Style鈥� in 2019. While interviewing Field for that series, he found a bold character with a unique, unconventional style of mixing color and patterns and designer looks with street wear. While at first Field resisted the idea of a documentary crew following her around, she finally relented and says she鈥檚 pleased with the result.
The Emmy-winning Field, 81, was behind the inventive outfits on 鈥淯gly Betty鈥� and is known for styling films as well, including 鈥淭he Devil Wears Prada,鈥� which earned her an Oscar nod. The Associated Press sat down with Field and Selditch recently to talk about her process, that tutu, and which item everyone should have in their closet.
Answers have been shortened for brevity and clarity.
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AP: How did you get Pat to agree to this documentary?
SELDITCH: I said to her, 鈥淵ou know, anybody can make a documentary on you. We can always find people to sit down and talk about working with you and say wonderful things and throw in archival footage. But that鈥檚 not exactly the documentary I want to make. I want to watch your process. I want to see you shop. I want to see you working with actors. I want to really make it verite and watch you work and get inside your head and be a fly on the wall.鈥� And I said, 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 do it now, when are you going to do it?鈥�
AP: What is a typical costume fitting like for you?
FIELD: There鈥檚 a person and then there鈥檚 a character. But behind that character is the person, and it鈥檚 really important that they feel good because that is, in my mind, my responsibility. It鈥檚 not about dictating to actors what鈥檚 good and what鈥檚 not good. It鈥檚 about giving them choices and, of course, getting to know them. Once you get to know them, it becomes a little bit more automatic. Like Sarah Jessica Parker, I know her. I worked with her before. I know her taste. It鈥檚 about the relationship and making sure that the actor in front of that camera is comfortable, positive and ready to go.
AP: Your costumes on 鈥淪ex and The City鈥� helped make designer brands feel more attainable by mixing high fashion accessories with basic off-the-rack clothes. Was that intentional?
FIELD: Let鈥檚 talk about mixing high and low. I think that you can鈥檛 just wear high or you can鈥檛 just wear low. People say, 鈥渙range and red don鈥檛 go together.鈥� Well, they go together in a fruit bowl! (smiles) It鈥檚 nature. And what鈥檚 wrong with it? So I go by this little philosophy of mine and I tend to not get distracted by mores or rules or whatever comes across. It鈥檚 just my expression and if I feel good about it and the actor does, then it鈥檚 fine.
AP: The white tutu and gold 鈥淐arrie鈥欌�� necklace have become iconic items. Do you know when you鈥檙e putting something like that on an actor that it鈥檚 going to hit?
FIELD: I don鈥檛 always have that same formula of knowing beforehand what it鈥檚 going to be. But I have my taste. It鈥檚 not haphazard for me, and I guess it鈥檚 my formula and I guess it works for me. It鈥檚 very important. Dressing someone, man or woman, it鈥檚 a two way street. They鈥檙e in the clothes, they need to be happy. I offer the clothes, I have to be satisfied. It鈥檚 always best to establish a positive relationship and when the actor trusts you, you鈥檙e home free.
SELDITCH: One of the things I really love and admire about Pat is that she goes with her gut in her work and in her life. And I think that what you鈥檙e looking at there, like the tutu, it鈥檚 just in her gut, it felt right to her. Other people might be like, 鈥淲hy?鈥� But to her it felt right. And it turned out to be. And her gut isn鈥檛 ordinary or obvious. It鈥檚 fun and crazy and exciting. And that鈥檚 one of the things that people respond to in Pat鈥檚 work.
FIELD: I think the tutu industry will thank me. (laughs) I can鈥檛 stop seeing tutus! Years go by and there鈥檚 always tutus on the rack. I saw this (skirt) in the showroom, and I pulled it out of a basket on the floor and I immediately thought of Sarah Jessica because she鈥檚 ballet trained and she鈥檚 also fashion. She鈥檒l understand this. She鈥檚 not going to treat this with a pair of ballet slippers. She鈥檚 going to put on a pair of spiky heels and have this little thing. And I said, 鈥淒arren (showrunner Darren Star) if it鈥檚 a hit 鈥� and I think it will be 鈥� that tutu will be classic through time.鈥�
AP: You worked with Molly Rogers on 鈥� SATC鈥� and now she鈥檚 the costumer for 鈥淎nd Just Like That鈥︹�� Do you think she鈥檚 been consistent with the style on the new show?
FIELD: I think she鈥檚 great. She has experience. I鈥檝e worked with Molly for many years. I met her in my shop on 8th Street and I hired her and we鈥檝e been together ever since, doing different projects. It鈥檚 a very long and loving relationship. There is definitely a consistency. But at the same time, it wouldn鈥檛 be as good if she just tried to copy me. She is creative. She has her own way of looking at it. I think they鈥檙e doing a great job. I would probably be very disappointed if they weren鈥檛.
AP: What鈥檚 an accessory you think everyone should have?
FIELD: I like a belt because the belt defines the waist and you know, all this like loose, shapeless clothing-- I don鈥檛 find it very exciting. So I鈥檓 definitely a belt girl.
Brooke Lefferts, The Associated Press
