Much has changed in the world of Sex and the City (SATC) now that its long awaited reboot And Just Like That (AJLT) has finally kicked off: Carrie and friends are older, Samantha is absent, and then there’s… Well, in the interest of avoiding spoilers, that ending to episode one. That viewers are guaranteed a heaping dose of fashion at every turn, however, remains a mainstay. After all, with original SATC veterans on board – AJLT’s costume designer Molly Rogers worked alongside SATC’s lead costume designer Patricia Field throughout the show’s original seasons, while AJLT co-costume designer Danny Santiago, worked alongside Rogers and Field for both SATC films, the continued emphasis on style was to be expected. Holding true to second hand shopping connoisseur Carrie’s nature, Rogers and Santiago turned to thrifting often while designing costumes for the reboot, and because who wouldn’t want to shop like both the series’ new and familiar faces, they’ve turned to online consignment giant thredUP to curate a selection fans can actually shop.
“We love the thrill of the hunt,” Rogers and Santiago tell ESSENCE over email. “It’s so rewarding to find truly unique items.” The duo said thrifting has always been a part of their process, but even more so now, especially since stores such as thredUP have brought IRL thrifting online. “For a character like Carrie, it’s really important to mix high and low. She would never wear a full runway look, so it’s about mixing in vintage and thrifted items plus a modern piece.”
Credit: Molly Rogers, Danny Santiago
Made up of around 750 styles across brands including Marc Jacobs, Gucci and Nanushka, shopping Rogers and Santiago’s edit might even be better than raiding Carrie’s closet. The pair curated a selection for three different virtual closets: The Statement Maker, The Polished Romantic and The Laid Back Power Dresser (likely inspired by Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda respectively). Rogers and Santiago said their costume designing process begins with mood-boarding and gathering information on the characters, then moves to pulling images from magazines, Pinterest and the like. “We approached this collaboration with thredUP similarly,” they said, “thinking about each distinct style and what would exist in their closet.” But, Santiago says in a press release, the edit isn’t about copying the style of any specific character. “[It’s] really about being inspired by our work to identify your own personal style,” he says. “I believe fashion should be accessible and fun for everyone and reflect each person’s individuality, and that’s exactly what we hope to convey with this collaboration.”
The curation was brought about as a special nod to late actor Willie Garson, who played Carrie’s best friend Stanford Blatch in SATC, and reprised his role for three episodes of AJLT before his passing in September, with thredUP, Rogers and Santiago pledging to donate all proceeds to the Willie Garson Fund. Powered by You Gotta Believe, an organization for which Garson was on the Board of Advisors, the fund – like the organization – is dedicated to finding permanent homes for young adults, teens and pre-teens in foster care.
To no surprise, many of the second hand styles from Rogers and Santiago’s thredUP edit are already en route to new owners, but there’s still plenty more to shop from it – some of which comes directly from the costume designers’ own set closet. Scroll through a few of the styles ahead, then shop the rest here.
