14 DAY TRIAL // Sarah Jessica Parker's reputation as self-styled fashionista and an addict of all things expensive and ultra-glamorous, as well as her love for exclusive high-end fashion, make her a very popular presence in Hollywood's most pretentious circles, side by side with people with a lot of money and many designer friends. For a lady of her stature, attending an important premiere - even more importantly, the New York premiere of her own, much-hyped and eagerly-anticipated movie - would definitely mean flawless makeup, a fabulous pair of shoes and a stunning yet quirky "in character" dress. What we wouldn't expect - indeed, not in a million years - would be to see Parker don a dress that had been worn in public two times before.
However, much to her shame, this is exactly what happened. Sarah Jessica took to the red carpet in New York in a splendid floor-length metallic strapless gown and fully enjoyed her triumphant night, only to discover soon afterwards that the designer of the priceless Nina Ricci couture piece had deceived her and had claimed that the dress had only previously been worn by models for magazine shoots. The truth, Parker found out, was less palatable: designer Olivier Theyskens had actually allowed that the dress in question be used on two previous occasions: once by heiress Lauren Santo Domingo, whom Theyskens himself accompanied, arm in arm, at the Metropolitan Institute Costume Gala, and - even more embarrassing - to Lindsay Lohan for a Disney advertising campaign.
All this was obviously enough to make Parker a very unhappy camper - however, if there was any private explosion of fury, envy and disappointment, she was careful not to let it show. "Look, my affection for the dress hasn't changed", she told the New York Times. "But what they did was so short-sighted. It's just unethical and disappointing that they would allow the dress to be worn again. [The designer] didn't say, 'Well, actually I just escorted Lauren down the red carpet at the Met'. I just wish it had been handled differently and they had been straight about it", she added.
