There's one prize all designers want and Holly Fulton has Carried it off

Published on Saturday 26 December 2009 19:27

FASHION gurus describe it as the Holy Grail – having your designs showcased by one of the world's most glamorous women in what will be one of the global box-office smashes of 2010.

For Scottish designer Holly Fulton the dream has come true. Carrie Bradshaw, the central character of the upcoming Sex And The City 2 movie – played by Sarah Jessica Parker – is to wear a dazzling Fulton creation in the film that will set fashion trends for years to come.

Edinburgh-based Fulton got a call from Patricia Field, the stylist for the hit series Sex And The City, in October during filming of the big-screen sequel. Fielding asked to borrow five designs from her autumn/winter collection.

It is a call most designers would covet – having an item worn by Parker/Bradshaw can put an otherwise unknown on the fashion map and can induce global sell-outs for more established labels.

Fulton, 32, said she had to pinch herself. "It was just the biggest compliment, and I couldn't quite believe it for a while. Sex And The City was really the first big programme with a significant focus on fashion, and to an extent you're watching the fashion more than anything else. Setting aside the potential exposure, this was just a huge confidence boost for me."

Fulton's dresses – particularly those adorned with crystals – sell for up to 2,000, although her range extends down to 85 garments. She is particularly excited about the possibility of seeing one of the world's most revered fashion icons wearing her designs.

"Sarah Jessica Parker has this enigmatic beauty about her, and she is a real fashion icon in her own right," she said. "I love the way Patricia Field styles her character, mixing different looks from different designers, and I think that Carrie Bradshaw would look fantastic in one of my crystal pieces. I can't wait until the film comes out. Quite simply, it's a dream come true."

Field, who has worked on The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty in addition to Sex And The City, borrowed five pieces from Fulton's autumn/winter 2009 collection, including a mini-dress and skirt, both covered in Swarovski crystals in different shades of blue.

While the famous stylist calls in hundreds of pieces, not all of which will make it onto the backs of the four female stars, it has been confirmed that Parker has been filmed wearing Holly Fulton in Sex And The City 2, which is due for release in May.

The first Sex And The City film took $415 million worldwide at the box office and was one of the biggest films of 2008. During filming, magazines and blogs gave their readers weekly updates from the set.

They were less focused on plot lines and more on what Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda were wearing. Fans were similarly enthralled. The $25,000 Vivienne Westwood wedding dress that Carrie wore in the film was so popular that two brides-to-be tried to order it before filming had even finished, based solely on images released from the set.

The hype didn't stop there. Upon the film's release, the $885 royal blue Manolo Blahnik Hangisi shoe (the show put the Spanish shoe designer on the map in the late-1990s) that Big used to propose to Carrie sold out from New York stores immediately, with 60 pairs selling on the film's opening day.

Carrie's $790 Extreme gladiator sandal by Dior, which the character wore throughout the film, came from a 2007 collection but was brought back after shooting to meet demand. Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh stocked the famous shoe in gold and brought it back for a second season thanks to its popularity.

Harvey Nichols spokesman Kevin Stewart said: "Being featured on Sex And The City is just about the most exposure a designer can get in the fashion world. When the first film was released, numerous customers asked us for pieces they had seen on screen, and we're expecting similar hype when the second film is released.

"It's so exciting to see a talented Scottish designer like Holly Fulton getting exposure like this on a global level, because no matter how big the designer, being featured on Sex And The City is a huge deal and a massive compliment."

Educated at the Edinburgh College of Art, then the Royal College of Art in London, Fulton splits her time between London and Edinburgh, where she still tutors at the ECA. This year, Fulton was named Young Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards and picked up the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessories at the recent British Fashion Awards.

Mary McGowne, who runs the Scottish Style Awards, said: "Never mind breakthrough designers – this is the Holy Grail for every major fashion designer.

"The biggest fashion labels in the world will have well-oiled PR machines on a year-round charm offensive to get pieces into the Sex and The City film, so it's a testament to Holly's talent that her work has been noticed by someone as important as Patricia Field.

"She's got such a strong signature, which has caught the eye of the fashion world, and I can definitely see Sarah Jessica Parker in one of her creations."