Costume designer Molly Rogers said that she “pinched [herself] every day” working on “And Just Like That.”
“It was just the dream to reunite with everybody,” Rogers told Variety. “Everybody is so familiar with the [‘Sex and the City’] girls, that DNA of their clothing was really set in stone from the original show — so it was just about finding new designers and seeing who’s out there now… and, of course, their classic go-tos.”
This is not Rogers’ first time in the “Sex and the City” universe. Rogers, who serves as costume designer for the HBO Max reboot alongside Danny Santiago, was polishing Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) trendy belted dresses and endless supply of heels from the very beginning — working in the costume department for both the original show and two subsequent films, when Patricia Field headed the franchise’s style.
“And Just Like That” aired its Season 1 finale on Thursday and has yet to be renewed for a second season. The show follows “Sex and the City’s” unforgettable New York girl group — Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis). Kim Cattrall did not return to the role of Samantha (although text messages in place of Cattrall’s onscreen presence suggests that Carrie and Samantha reunite in Thursday’s finale). In bringing the iconic characters back to life, Rogers noted that she and Santiago worked to preserve their established personalities while communicating change and growth in all three of the women’s lives — including the death of Carrie’s husband Big (Chris Noth), Miranda’s discoveries about her sexuality and Charlotte educating herself about one of her children’s gender identity journey.
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“We’re all, no matter what age, learning and growing,” said Rogers. “I really appreciated that it was a story about women of this age because that’s rare. And it was dealing with death, gender and [more]. I found it to be very thoughtful.”
When crafting the style for “And Just Like That,” the costume department used “Sex and the City” high-end classics like Dior and Chanel — while also collaborating with new designers from social media and around the globe. Despite the new world presented in the latest “Sex and the City” chapter, fans were also reunited with some of the franchise’s most beloved outfits and accessories — from Carrie’s blue Manolo wedding shoes and the Roger belt, to a stunning Versace dress and opening sequence-inspired white tutu.
“What other show can you name that has an archive where…you pull out a belt called ‘Roger’ [and] people are as excited to see that accessory as they are to see one of the actors? It’s like these accessories are friends, too,” said Rogers. “People have such a connection with the original show — they’ve grown up on it, or they live off of the reruns and they can quote from it… It was important, because we had access to Sarah Jessica’s archive, that we choose wisely and treat [the returning looks] as ‘special guest stars.’”
In addition to indulging fan nostalgia and continuing to express the stories of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and more through fashion, Rogers and Santiago were given the task of bringing the looks of new “And Just Like That” characters to the screen — including Che Diaz (Sara Ramírez), Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker). Rogers pointed out that Che’s signature look, for example, became their classic black clothing with “chunky silver jewelry,” while Seema’s chic palette was matched to the “chocolate Mercedes” that she traveled to luxury real estate appointments in and Nya’s Brooklyn-inspired wardrobe included vibrant patterns and graphics, rich layers and Roger’s favorite tracksuit.
“Danny and I were lucky enough to have [executive producer, writer and director] Michael Patrick King, who really gave us a great deal of backstory about all these new people,” said Rogers. “In the end, they’re all New Yorkers… So that helped to tell the story as well.”
Still, many of Roger’s favorite looks from the show continue to be worn by Carrie. In fact, Santiago and Rogers worked extensively with Parker in preparation — and many of the show’s returning pieces came from the actor’s personal archive as a result. To mark “And Just Like That’s” Season 1 finale, Rogers shared her five favorite Carrie looks from the revival series.
Rainbow sweater with white tutu for deli trip (S1 E4)
After a morning alone in her apartment just a few episodes after Big’s death, Carrie ventures out into the city wearing an off-the-shoulder rainbow sweater, white heeled booties and a flowing, full-length white tutu. She visits a bodega (that appears to be near her old apartment) to pick up coffee and see a familiar face. “That was something that I think kind of pulled at the heartstrings of people,” said Rogers. “It wasn’t the tutu from the opening sequence in the original show. But… it’s her comfort blanket. It’s her jean jacket. It’s a crinoline, it’s a tutu — it’s quintessential Carrie. It’s like when she comes home from the hospital [in a later episode] and the Hot [Fellas] bread guys are carrying her up the stoop, she’s got a tutu on and her bedroom slippers. It’s kind of a signal to the audience that ‘I’m in my comfort zone.’”
Blue ruffled top and green skirt in redecorated apartment (S1 E4)
After deciding to sell the apartment that she and Big lived in together, her home is redecorated to put it on the market. As Carrie walks through her “totally beige” apartment (and later leaves with Big’s ashes in a Barneys bag), she wears a blue Yves Saint Laurent ruffled blouse, a green vintage skirt with big pockets, a pink purse and heels. “It is so vibrant,” says Rogers. “An emerald and a turquoise — they are such deep, saturated colors, and I really loved seeing her flit around her apartment in that.”
Pink “dry rot” dress worn in the stairwell before hip surgery (S1 E5)
When Carrie takes Seema to visit her brownstone, she wears a soft pink, “dry rot” dress, lovely blue heels and lace jacket. “I’m like SJ, I’m partial to something so old and vintage that it has… ‘dry rot,’ [which is] this garment that is disintegrating because it’s so old,” said Rogers. “It was so old and had a pink, hand-painted orchid… [But there were] strips of dead fabric hanging on for their life when she was going up the stairs, and eventually [Parker] just ripped that bottom half of that dress off because it just had no more life in it.”
Glittery Missoni maxi dress in closet after hip surgery (S1 E5)
After three months of physical therapy following her hip surgery, Carrie is “back in heels.” To close out the fifth episode, viewers see Carrie in her closet in a stunning, glittery maxi dress and gold heels. “Missoni sent us this long maxi dress that we split up the side of her leg… and it’s dancing in the light,” said Rogers. “That outfit had such a reaction online and everywhere. People were just excited. They didn’t know where she was going that night, but she was heightened and dressed for a night on the town.”
One-shoulder blue Kamali dress on date with Peter (S1 E7)
With encouragement from her editor to date again (in order to give readers a “glimmer of hope” in her new book), Carrie goes on a date with Peter, a man she meets online. She wears a gorgeous, one-shoulder blue Kamali dress, a silk jacket and heels. “Everybody went crazy for the one-shoulder blue Kamali dress,” said Rogers. “It was just a great, beautiful baby blue color and she just looks so chic and modern in it and threw a silk jacket on top of it — like it was a jean jacket, and I really loved that one.”
Honorable mention: Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte’s dresses at Big’s funeral (S1 E2)
Rogers also nodded to all three of the dresses worn by the series’ leads at Big’s funeral in the second episode of the season.
“I really liked the art direction that we did with all three women at the funeral, it was so distinct,” said Rogers. “Carrie is there in a bit of a ballerina silhouette — a tutu, a crinoline is under her funeral dress. And she has a hat on that’s quiet, but very chic. [Charlotte] is in Dior, which is polished and Upper East. And [Miranda] was in this wrap dress… which we put a shoulder pad in because Cynthia has this long, beautiful neck. And I just thought the three of them standing together in that particular scene [was] a real editorial-like, magazine shot. I really love that a lot.”
Honorable mention: Coral Valentino dress with pink gloves on Paris bridge (S1 E10)
In the final episode, Carrie decides she knows where to spread Big’s ashes – at the Paris bridge where Big confessed his love for Carrie all those years ago.
She wears a striking Valentino couture coral gown with off-the-shoulder puffed sleeves and long pink gloves. “Sarah Jessica took one look at that gown and she said ‘bridge,'” stated Rogers. “There was no other option. It reminded me of Empress Josephine… perfect for a scene in France.”