Pat in the City
My Life of Fashion, Style, and Breaking All the Rules
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the iconic stylist and fashion provocateur whose designs transformed culture—bringing the glitz of Studio 54 and the sophistication of Sex and the City to the mainstream—comes a playful yet intimate memoir of a life spent challenging conventions.
Carrie Bradshaw’s pairing of a tutu with a tank top is one of the most iconic outfits ever seen on television—and a look that turned avant-garde New York designer and stylist Patricia Field into a household name. But before she was crowned the fairy godmother of haute couture, Field was the owner of the longtime East Village emporium Pat Field, a haven for drag queens, club kids, starving artists, NYU freshmen, and creative visionaries alike. Presiding over downtown with her distinctive vermillion hair and a constantly lit cigarette, Patricia was a rock ’n’ roll den mother to everyone from Amanda Lepore to Lady Bunny to Patti Smith, with her store providing the city’s eccentrics with a place to discover a sense of family, home, and a rhinestone bedazzled bustier or two.
In Pat in the City, Patricia describes her journey from scrappy Queens kid peddling men’s pants to the fashion world’s most notorious renegade. As the daughter of immigrant parents, Field learned the principles of glamour from her entrepreneurial mother, and applied her NYU lessons on democracy to inform a fashion ethos that would reach millions. From her Studio 54 disco-glam styling to her award-winning work in The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City to today’s buzzy costuming in Emily in Paris, Field’s inimitable styling has pushed the envelope and created trends that have become the culture standard. Now in her seventies, Patricia Field is ready to tell her story—not to take a final bow, but to spread her credo of challenging convention and filling the world with joy and dancing.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Costume designer Field makes a sparkling debut with this recollection of her influential career. Born in 1942, in New York City, Field's mother worked hard to ensure that her daughter had the best clothes from luxury department stores, including Bloomingdale's. Field opened her first clothing store in 1966, and during the 1970s and '80s, she amassed an impressive group of clients and artist friends, including Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In 1987, she landed her first job as a costume designer for the film Lady Beware, which led to high-profile jobs in the film, music, and television industries. In the 1990s, Field gained a foothold in the hip-hop community after Puff Daddy's then-girlfriend shopped at her store. Later, Field's role as the costume designer for Sex and the City cemented her status as a creative visionary; she fought for Sarah Jessica Parker to wear the memorable pink tank top and tulle skirt in the show's opening credits. Field is a natural storyteller, whether she's recalling past relationships or her thought process behind styling choices. Fashion aficionados will relish this passionate ode to the power of style and individuality.
