Patricia Field on Disco, Divas, and the Art of Styling a Star

Patricia Field looking cosmic and #glamorous. Photo nabbed from the Village Voice. Fluorescent tie-dye pedal pushers worn with a bandana. Manolos worn with combats. An oversized flower plastered on an otheriwise understated dress. TUTUS. Such flamboyant and totally bonkers fashion choices could only be attributed to one woman. Okay, two women: Carrie Bradshaw, the lead character of the most fashion forward show in television history, and Patricia Field, the most famous and influential stylist in the world of TV and film. The outfits she pulled together for Sex and the City have been seared into the minds of viewers and fashion fans alike, and from there Pat went on to style the cast of Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada. But despite these high profile onscreen credits, her origins are more rooted in music than you might expect. Pat's eponymous downtown boutique on Bowery has been around since the 60s and the New York native has seen Cher, Madonna, and Beyoncé stop by on more than one occasion. Ciara is a regular customer, and Steven Tyler and Miley Cyrus are fans too. Recently Pat pulled up a chair and told Noisey, in her raspy Queens twang, how New York’s music scene affects how people dress, what Studio 54 was really like, and why styling musicians is tougher than silver studded leather jacket.

Noisey: Your store opened in 1966, what do you remember from New York back then?
Patricia Field: Not much! New York was more fun back then. People had more energy and liked to dance. The culture was dance. That’s why places like Studio 54 became so famous.

You went to Studio 54?
Of course, all the time!

Was it really as crazy as people claim it was?
It was more. You’d walk in and start dancing immediately. Before you’d get a drink, you’d dance. Fashion was intrinsic to getting into Studio 54 because you had to look interesting and original. The outfits were very theatrical and people took time to put themselves together to make an appearance and get noticed.

Madonna circa 84 when she frequented Pat's store. Here she's wearing a Keith Haring skirt, whose designs are sold at Pat's store today and seen on Beyoncé and Rihanna below. Did you used to hang out with any musicians around that time?
Debbie Harry, Cher, and Madonna would all come and hang out in the store and at clubs they played in, like Area, the Paradise Garage, Studio 54, and Danceteria. My store was and still is like a clubhouse. It’s not corporate.

Does Madonna still shop in your store?
She tends to have people come in for her now. I mean, she’s Madonna, she’s busy. But back in the day, in the early 80s, she came in all the time. She used to work and hang out in the same place we all did—Danceteria. That’s when I knew her. Ciara in a Hollywood sweatshirt bought at Pat's boutiquw and a Gotham cap by Badacious, which you can get here.

Apparently Missy Elliott is a big fan of your store.
I love Missy Elliott. She’s straightforward, honest, and confident and it just comes through in her look. She buys a lot of athletic wear, a lot of the designer STUDmuffin. They custom-make clothes for her now. Missy comes herself; she doesn’t bring people to shop for her.

Eve and Ciara also stop by. Do you style them?
I’m not their personal stylist but, yeah, they come in the shop very often and we help them pick out clothes, try stuff on. It’s the same process. It’s funny, when Ciara first started out years ago, she told me her goal was to be like Jennifer Lopez. She was inspired by J-Lo. I thought, “Okay, if that’s what you want to go for." But I look at her image now, years later, and it is as far as J-Lo as I can imagine! I don’t see J-Lo when I look at Ciara! Look at this photo [above]. It’s original, cool hot.

Beyoncé in a Keith Haring dress. Who do you think has great style today?
Beyoncé. I’ve known her since she was in her teens. She and Destiny’s Child and her mum would come shopping in my store. I’m going to send you a picture of Beyonce in a Keith Haring dress that we created [above]. Gorgeous.

You’re best known for your work in TV and movies, but are you ever hired to style musicians and would you like to?
I’m happy to work with anyone that wants to work with me, but I prefer film and TV. I did a music video for a band—I don’t remember who—years ago and it was a nightmare. I was battling with the talent, the record company, and the production company and they all wanted different things so it was very difficult to reach a consensus.

Rihanna in the "Rude Boy" video wearing Keith Haring (left) and a Keith Haring-painted mannequin in Pat's store (right).

What are the most important aspects when styling someone?
You must respect their essence. You can’t make it up like they’re a paper doll. First, understand their personality, body, image, and what they’re comfortable in. Then apply your styling techniques to that general imagery. I am working with an incredible Greek singer right now, Anna Vissi, and I do just that. She has a rocker vibe so we emulate that. Her daughter is a stylist too, so sometimes she styles Anna, sometimes I do, and other times we work together. That’s the way I work.

Scarlett flits between NY and LDN which basically means she is super glamorous and she’s on Twitter - @CarryOnScarlett.

Style Stage is an ongoing partnership between Noisey & Garnier Fructis celebrating music, hair, and style.