FASHION

Sarah Jessica Parker Channels ‘60s Glamour for Plaza Suite Opening Night


Sarah Jessica Parker poses at the opening night of the Neil Simon play "Plaza Suite"
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In some ways, Sarah Jessica Parker is a New York City monument akin to John’s on Bleecker or the Charging Bull on Broad Street. It almost seems like she reserves her schedule for only NYC-based projects—Sex and the City/And Just Like That, Divorce, and now, Plaza Suite. After a long delay, the revival of the 1968 Neil Simon play finally had its opening night on Monday, meaning Parker will take her rightful place back on Broadway, returning to the theater for the first time in 25 years. It was a big moment, and Parker didn’t take it lightly, tapping Prabal Gurung to design a custom dress for the occasion, and in return, the designer turned the actress into a classic ‘60s star.

Parker arrived to the Hudson Theater in a satin, empire-waist gown with a silk tulle overlay hand-embroidered with crystals, sequins, and bugle beads. Gurung described the dress’ hue as “New York Pink,” telling Vogue, “it’s not a bright pink, it’s almost like it has a light film of dust on it.”

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In order to play up the vintage aesthetic of the look, Parker’s hairstylist, Serge Normant, pulled back the actress’ hair in an oversized chignon. “There’s something very old school about it, like it’s from a classic [Richard] Avedon photograph,” Gurung said. “It’s glamorous, but it's still graceful.”

On the red carpet for the opening night, Parker posed with her husband, and play costar, Matthew Broderick, who seemed to also fit the theme with a ‘60s-esque tie. In Plaza Suite, the pair play three couples across three acts—a married couple on the brink of collapse, old flames reuniting after years apart, and parents trying to convince their bride-to-be daughter to finish out the wedding waiting for her downstairs. While there’s unhappiness brewing in all three of the couples Parker and Broderick play throughout the show, in real life the two looked blissfully happy posing for the cameras, proving their acting prowess in the process.

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