To begin the design process, Sullivan poured over Parker’s seven American Vogue cover images and cover stories, and then worked with graphic designer Jakob Weinzettel to compile them into a custom-printed silk-crepe fabric. “We wanted it to feel close to newspaper,” she says. While the duo didn’t use every single cover, they did make sure to use their favorites. Sullivan’s personal highlight is the one from February 2002. “She has this thin little black tank top on,” says Sullivan, who also enjoyed reading these cover stories. “It was funny—while I was sewing, I was reading them. I was literally at the sewing machine at four in the morning, reading these articles.”
Photo: Soraya Zaman
Once the fabric was printed and ready to design with, Sullivan got to work on draping it in an artful way—layering it over a built-in corset to add some shape to the overall look. “My process is very draping heavy,” says Sullivan. “It was important for me to map out the fabric and think about how the print was going to read.” Once the dress was built, Sullivan added vibrant dashes of black tulle for texture. “Jorden and I landed on a tulle shrug moment,” says Sullivan. “It’s actually inspired by an old Comme des Garçons coat Carrie wears in the show.”
While Sullivan wasn’t on-set for when Parker put on the finished newspaper dress, she later heard from the star about her special, one-of-a-kind recreation. “She was very moved and touched by it, to see all those memories come together,” says Sullivan. The designer says making the couture creation is one of her favorite fashion assignments to date. “It was a surreal experience,” she says. “It’s one of my favorite things that I’ve ever made, for sure.”
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