Few TV costumes are as instantly recognizable as the Christian Dior newspaper-print dress worn by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Yet behind its glamorous legacy lies a provocative backstory tied to designer John Galliano’s polarizing vision.
The slinky, bias-cut dress—featured in a slow-motion strut through Manhattan in the show’s third season—originated from Dior’s autumn-winter 2000 “Fly Girl” collection. Its bold newsprint motif, inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli’s 1930s designs, became a symbol of early-2000s chic when Sarah Jessica Parker’s character paired it with Manolo Blahnik heels and a Fendi baguette bag.
But the dress’s roots trace back to Galliano’s spring-summer 2000 haute couture show, titled Hobo, where models wore shredded garments accessorized with faux trash—mini liquor bottles, crumpled newspapers—in a spectacle staged at Versailles. The collection, influenced by 1920s “Tramp Ball” parties (where elites dressed as the homeless) and Galliano’s observations of Paris’ unhoused population, sparked outrage. Advocacy groups protested outside Dior’s headquarters, accusing the designer of mocking poverty.
By the time the print reappeared in Dior’s ready-to-wear “Fly Girl” line—now emblazoned with a fictional Christian Dior Daily—the controversy had faded, and Bradshaw’s on-screen endorsement cemented its cult status. “On Carrie, it transformed from ‘hobo chic’ into an emblem of flawed, relatable glamour,” says fashion historian Rebecca Arnold.
Decades later, the dress still commands staggering sums. In December 2024, two versions sold at auction for $69,000 and $54,000—far exceeding estimates. “It represents Galliano’s peak at Dior,” notes Sotheby’s specialist Lucy Bishop. Recent sightings, like Jenna Ortega’s red-carpet homage, prove its enduring appeal, though Galliano’s 2011 firing for antisemitic remarks complicates his legacy.
The newsprint trend has since trickled down to fast-fashion brands like Zara, while designers like Balenciaga’s Demna have reimagined it for the digital age. As And Just Like That… returns for a third season, fans wonder: Will Carrie revive her archive’s most infamous piece? For now, the dress remains a testament to fashion’s power to provoke—and endure.
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