Patricia Field

Costume Designer

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her two-and-a-half-hour interview, Patricia Field talks about growing up in Manhattan and being business-savvy from an early age. She chronicles starting her own shop in the city and beginning a career in fashion design. She talks about her first job as a costume designer in film, and her early jobs in television on NBC's Crime Story and Shelly Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme, for which she won her first Emmy award. She discusses at length her role as designer for the long-running series Sex and the City and the impact the show's fashion had on popular culture. She details her design process and her role to "elevate" the story a little higher through beautiful clothing. She outlines other television shows on which she worked, such as Spin City and Ugly Betty, and her contributions to the film The Devil Wears Prada with Meryl Streep. She also gives her advice to aspiring television costume designers and discusses her future career aspirations. Bonnie Datt conducted the interview on October 18, 2011 in New York, NY

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"The clothes are helping to tell the story, to define the character. I never tried to consciously create a trend. All I really ever did was try to make things look beautiful, and tell the story."

People Talking About ...

Patricia Field

Highlights

Patricia Field on some signature costume choices from Sex and the City; the "Carrie" necklace

Patricia Field on the Versace gown that Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the finale of Sex and the City and how it "heightened the sadness" of the scene

01:38

Patricia Field on being inspired by the characters on Shelly Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme and its stars

Patricia Field on her advice to aspiring television costume designers: "identify your assets"

01:11

Patricia Field on enjoying the storytelling character of costume design

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

Introduction

On her childhood, parents and early life in Manhattan and Queens

On learning about fabrics and clothing from her parents' dry-cleaning store in New York; on her education

On her beginnings as a businesswoman; on working at department stores; on the development of her personal style and the type of clothing she sold at her store, "Patricia Field"

On entering the field of costume design in films; "Lady Beware" and "He's My Girl"

On transitioning to costume design for television on Crime Story (NBC); working with Michael Mann; on Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme with Shelly Duvall; on winning her first Emmy Award; on meeting Sarah Jessica Parker

On how she came to be the Costume Designer for Sex and the City after the pilot was shot

Chapter 2

On not being influenced by other sitcoms on television; on how her two industries (fashion and costume design for TV) intertwine; on why she enjoys working in television; on how fashion helps to "tell the story"; on how her job is to respect the characters

On her work as a costume designer on Sex and the City; on the success of the show resting in the casting by Darren Star; on each of the stars and the inspiration behind their character's costuming

Patricia Field on some signature costume choices from Sex and the City; the "Carrie" necklace, the tule skirt, Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks; on the impact the fashion was having on popular culture; on designers who became part of the show

Chapter 3

On some of the more memorable fashion trends that Sex and the City created: the big flower, pearls

On the impact Sex and the City had on women at the time, on having "fun with clothes"; on not anticipating trends; on her personal style; on the Versace gown in the finale; on where the SITC wardrobe is now

On working on Spin City, Hope and Faith, Guiding Light, Ugly Betty

On working on the film The Devil Wears Prada with David Frankel and Meryl Streep

On how being in New York City her whole life has affected her style and taste; on her identity as a lesbian; on her advice to aspiring designers and career aspirations

Shows

Crime Story

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Patricia Field on the NBC show Crime Story, directed by Michael Mann, when she was the costume designer

Guiding Light

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Patricia Field on her role on Guiding Light as a wardrobe consultant

Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme

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Patricia Field on being inspired by the characters on Shelly Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme and its stars

Patricia Field on designing the costume's for Shelly Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme which also starred Jean Stapleton, Woody Harrelson, Art Garfunkel, Ben Vereen, Cyndi Lauper, and more

Patricia Field on winning an Emmy for Costume Design for Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme; but she missed getting her award because she got lost

Project Runway

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Patricia Field on working on Project Runway with Heidi Klum

Sex and the City

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Patricia Field on how she came to be the Costume Designer for Sex in the City after the pilot was shot

Patricia Field on her doubts that Sex and the City would be a show people would watch

Patricia Field on her work as a costume designer on Sex and the City; on the success of the show resting in the casting by Darren Star; on each of the stars

Patricia Field on the color palettes she used on Sex and the City

Patricia Field on her inspiration for the Sex and the City costume design and the budget for the show

Patricia Field on some signature costume choices from Sex and the City; the "Carrie" necklace

Patricia Field on some signature costume choices from Sex and the City; the tutu and tank top in the opening sequence

Patricia Field on the impact Sex and the City was having on women's fashion as the show became popular

Patricia Field on how designers became increasingly eager to send clothes to Sex and the City; on some of the designers that became staples such as Chanel, Manolo Blahnik

Patricia Field on her process of costume designing for Sex and the City "it begins with the script"

Patricia Field on how the writers on Sex and the City began writing to the fashion, such as an episode where "Carrie" says "I lost my Choos" (referring to Jimmy Choo shoes); the clothes became famous

Patricia Field on some of the more memorable fashion trends that Sex and the City created: the big flower, pearls

Patricia Field on the impact Sex and the City had on women at the time, on having "fun with clothes"; on not anticipating trends

Patricia Field on hiding Sarah Jessica Parker's real-life pregnancy on Sex and the City with wardrobe and the challenges

Patricia Field on her proudest achievement as costume designer on Sex and the City and its impact on women "it broke down the uniform"

02:24

Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)"

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Patricia Field on the Versace gown that Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the finale of Sex and the City in Paris

Spin City

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Patricia Field on working on Spin City as a costume designer; on working on a sitcom "it's theater"