Off the Rack

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Mega-chain Steve & Barry’s has been having financial woes for the past few months, including multiple bankruptcy filings, which has led us to wonder what is happening to their star lines? Remember, Amanda Bynes, Stephon Marbury and Sarah Jessica Parker have all designed affordable fashion lines for the stores. NYMag.com caught up with SJP last night, who revealed she is looking for a new home for her Bitten line. “We have a lot of home offers,” Parker said. “We have to make sure that any partner we enter into an agreement with wants the same thing for the brand as we do, which is to serve the customer first. You know, it can’t be about commerce, it has to be about the customer, and we have to see who’s really willing to be that generous.” And not to worry, she’s keeping her original commitment to affordable clothing — the majority of the line is under $20. “Now, more than ever, people need all things that are about economy,” she continued. “So I want very much to continue it in the right way. So we just have to figure out what’s right for the customer, and how to do it in these economic times.” We’ll be waiting and watching!

Courtesy Coty; Jason Kempin/WireImage

She’s already smelled success with three best-selling fragrances, Lovely, Covet and Covet Pure Bloom, and now, Sarah Jessica Parker has announced she’ll be adding three more scents to her budding fragrance empire. The upcoming Lovely Collection, which will hit stores early next year, will feature a line-up of three distinct new scents: Dawn, Endless and Twilight. Launching the three Coty fragrances at once might seem like a bold move, but the Sex and the City star explains to WWD that the idea developed naturally out of her overall vision. “I wanted to offer a little glimpse into my world, something that was genuine and relatable — very specific moments, treasures of time,” she says. “The concept of moments lent itself to multiple fragrances.” Tell us: Will you try Dawn, Endless and Twilight when they launch in 2009?

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Despite the chilly New York temperature, stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Bosworth, Kim Raver, Eve, Helena Christensen and more turned out to celebrate Chanel’s Mobile Art venture with designer Karl Lagerfeld situated in Central Park. The launch of the contemporary art exhibit, designed by architect Zaha Hadid, featured a star-studded guided tour through the park directed by legendary French actress Jeanne Morreau. Although the party took place outside, SJP and Kate didn’t let bulky overcoats ruin their beautiful Chanel dresses, which pleased the designer himself. “Those girls are really strong girls — they stayed there nearly naked though it was icy cold,” Lagerfeld told PEOPLE. “They didn’t care, they smiled, they laughed. I admire them because we [men] are cowards.” For SJP, it was just another part of the job. “I’m so accustomed to wearing little bits this time of year,” she told PEOPLE. “I did it for the last ten years of my life [namely playing Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City].” And while we’re no fans of the cold, freezing in the name of Chanel seems worth it. Click here to learn more about the Mobile Art exhibit in Central Park.

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Sarah Jessica Parker made a subtle political — and fashion — statement while running around New York City yesterday in her Obama-inspired “Dare to Dream” tank. Her coveted tank is actually Zac Posen-designed and part of Barack Obama’s “Runway to Change” initiative. Posen isn’t the only designer to lend his talents to the campaign. Joining him in creating exclusive “Change” T-shirts, tanks and accessories are other top names like Nanette Lepore, Tory Burch, Russell Simmons, Vera Wang, Tracy Reese, Alexander Wang, Narciso Rodriguez, Beyonce and Tina Knowles for The House of Dereon and more. Your purchase of one of the Ts will count as a campaign contribution. Check out all the designs, at barackobama.com.

URIEL/SIPA; Semmer/face to face/ABACA

Fashionistas anxiously await the announcement every year, and we’ve got a look at this year’s Vanity Fair’s 69th annual International Best-Dressed List. Some of the highlights on the Best Dressed Women’s list include a mix of Hollywood — Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Tilda Swinton — and political significant others — French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama. Stylish men who made the cut include David Beckham, Daniel Craig, Kanye West and Matt Lauer. Click over to Vanity Fair.com to read the full list and tell us: Who makes your best dressed list? Do you agree with Vanity Fair’s?

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By now most Sex and the City fans have seen the movie at least once, and still no one can stop talking about all the fabulous fashion. From Carrie’s over-the-top Vivienne Westwood gown to her simple street style, our heads were spinning throughout the two-hour-plus film. Of course, all SJP’s on-set style was couture — and well beyond our budget — but we definitely wouldn’t mind finding it all for less. British shopping site asos.com was so sure Carrie fans everywhere would covet her big-screen wardrobe that they have recreated almost every look from head-to-toe — at budget-friendly prices. From her Burberry studded belt to her Dior sandals, it’s all there. Take a virtual tour through her 5th Avenue penthouse closet and shop Carrie’s most memorable looks — flower power dress anyone? — at asos.com’s Sex and the City Shop. Tell us: Would you shop these knock-off Carrie looks? Which is your favorite?

Stephen Lovekin/Getty; Janet Mayer/Splash News

Sarah Jessica Parker caused a stir when she strolled the red carpet for the New York premiere of Sex and the City in a dazzling metallic Nina Ricci gown. But it turns out it wasn’t the first time the dress had made a red-carpet run — something that was revealed to the star after the fact and is sending ripples through the fashion world. The actress tells the New York Times that although she was assured by the gown’s designer, Olivier Theyskens, that the dress had never been worn, it had in fact been photographed on socialite Lauren Santo Domingo at the Met ball gala less than a month earlier — with Theyskens himself as her escort. Most upsetting to Parker was the deception she feels was involved. “In the big picture, this is not important. But there is a relationship between the entertainment industry and fashion,” she explains of the unwritten code between stars and their designers. “Look, my affection for the dress hasn’t changed,” she says, “but what they did was so short-sighted. It’s just unethical and disappointing that they would allow the dress to be worn again. I just wish it had been handled differently and they had been straight about it.” Mario Grauso, the president of fashion for Puig (the parent company of Nina Ricci), tells the Times, “I’m upset that she’s upset.” Tell us: How would you feel if you were in SJP’s situation?