Carrie Dragshaw: The drag queen recreating SATC’s most iconic looks

When it comes to style icons, Carrie Bradshaw has earned her place on the list.

And one person is paying tribute to the Sex And The City star with a series of truly amazing recreations of some of her most memorable looks. Dan Clay innocently began his portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw for a Halloween party last year, but after being inundated with comments praising his impressive costume, he decided to take it one step further. And thus, Carrie Dragshaw was born.

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with them." I have wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw for Halloween ever since college, when I had HBO in my frat room and girls would come over and watch Sex and the City on Sundays and I would pretend that I hated it because I didn't want to give myself away. Well, the secret's out, and this is the happiest day of my life. @sarahjessicaparker sending you more love than you could even imagine ❤️ #carriedragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Oct 29, 2016 at 1:36pm PDT

 

As I thought back on another night at the Standard, I couldn't help but wonder: is Halloween really any different than a night out in New York? Before we leave the house, we all put on our masks--some to make us look prettier, or stronger, or sexier, or even scarier, harder to reach. But are these masks really disguises--or dreams? And how far are we willing to go to prevent people from seeing who we really are? #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Oct 30, 2016 at 2:08pm PDT

 

Can you ever really move on from an ex? That night, as I took off my soaking wet $400 shoes, I couldn't stop thinking about the stains and damage of our failed love lives. I wondered, Were ex-boyfriends like the puddles of bad break-ups? Just when you think the storm is over, they splash on your new Manolos? After another messy night with Big, maybe I had to do a better job of keeping myself dry. After all, only children jump in puddles. Adults buy umbrellas. And maybe, just maybe, if you skip around enough puddles, there's a great big rainbow waiting on the other side. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Nov 1, 2016 at 5:15am PDT

“All the comments were so, so kind, and I still had all these pictures left from our little West Village photo shoot, so I decided to keep it going for a bit,” Dan told HuffPost. “I posted a few more pics, even trying to capture Carrie’s classic narration style. I always thought it would just sort of fade away – but it never did.”

After heading West for a week of work, I was home. To quote another blonde wanderer, L.A. is too hot—too sunny, too sandy, too supermodelly. San Francisco is too cold—all tech, no talk. And I don’t trust a city where you can’t tell the difference between a billionaire, hipster, or homeless person. All hoodie, no Fendi. All flannel, no Chanel. For this Goldilocks, New York is just right. I couldn’t help but wonder: If my roots are so far away, why do I blossom in New York? I guess not all flowers grow in the sun. Some need the shade of skyscrapers, the ballet of crowded sidewalks, dollar slices in Dior, bodega cats and Birkin bags, MoMA with Monet, sunsets with Lady Liberty, the pleasure of 5th Avenue and the pain of Penn Station and most of all: the people-watching—because we might not have much nature, but we’re overflowing with life. So L.A. can keep its sun and San Francisco can have its screens, because I need magic, and I only bloom in New York. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Dec 9, 2016 at 5:16am PST

 

Yesterday I did a guest post for the brilliant queens of @everyoutfitonsatc and I wanted to post it too because 1) it's my favorite scene in the show ?, 2) it's my favorite Carrie caption I've written so far, 3) I made that fu*king bag, and 4) most importantly people have been so nice I wanted to say thank you! You are making this little queen smile huge ❤CD❤ In New York, if you want to know how the other half lives, you head to the Plaza—the hotel where Chanel got tea, Gatsby got mad, Sinatra got applause…and Big got away. As he drove off with his perfectly simple fiancé, I started thinking about My Other Half. What happens to the girls who never find theirs? Was my heart a half-empty hotel, with a “Big Vacancy” sign on the revolving door? I couldn’t help but wonder: Did some women need to tone down to settle down? Change their shape to find a match, change their soul to find a mate? Or could it be that life isn’t about searching for someone who makes you complete—it’s about realizing you already are. And maybe, just maybe, we’re born with the love we’re meant to find. And if the world says tone it down—turn it up. Because your true other half knows you’re already whole. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Dec 20, 2016 at 5:14am PST

 

On the road to love, sometimes you’re left out in the cold. As Aleksandr’s light exhibition opened and the light in our love went out, I couldn’t help but wonder: When you depend on men for warmth, are you destined for frostbite? And if one love leaves you cold, are you brave or crazy to try again? If at first he breaks your heart, cry cry again. But no matter how cold it gets, maybe the best way to bounce back after a break up is to be fabulous. To grab your faux fur, fairy skirt, and, most importantly, fabulous friends who will keep you warm. Because love hurts—but love heals, too. And there’s a light in everyone who’s looking for love. Keep it bright. It’s how the good ones find each other. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Jan 19, 2017 at 5:04am PST

 

The sidewalks of New York are full of traffic. But instead of cars we have clothes. Instead of Porsche, Lamborghinis and Little Corvettes we have Prada, Louis Speedies and Fendi Baguettes. But even in a city as crowded as New York, sometimes you walk alone. As I broke free from another break up, I couldn't help but wonder: We spend so much time dating—were we neglecting our most important relationship? We spend all our energy loving purses, dresses, and men—did we have any left to love ourself? What if the secret to being happy in life was hidden on the inside? Maybe self love is like a DIY Gucci purse: It takes a lot of work, and even if it doesn't turn out perfect it still feels fabulous. Because maybe our quirks and flaws make us who we are. After all, the cracks in the ceiling let the light in. The cracks in the sidewalk let the flower grow. And life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect. Sometimes the perfect little black dress…is grey. So I smiled. Because if you can love who you're walking with even when you're walking alone...well that's just fabulous. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Feb 3, 2017 at 5:02am PST

 

Fashion Roadkill (Part 1 of 2) ?In the fashion world, you listen to Anna Wintour, not Mother Nature. Winter is Fall and Fall is next year. Spring is Cruise and Summer is Couture. As I took the runway for my first New York Fashion Week, I started thinking about courage. Sometimes you have to fake it. You have to strut like a leopard even though you feel like scaredy cat. After all, it was too late to say No now. Maybe courage is like a pair of sparkly underwear: bold, beautiful, but usually covered up. Hidden within because showing your sparkle can be scary. I couldn’t help but wonder: How often did our fear of heights stop us from strapping on life's Monolos? Were we so afraid to fall that we didn’t even step on the runway? ? To be continued... #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:00am PST

 

In life, sometimes when you look ahead, all you see is your past. Your future gets crowded with coulda woulda shouldas and maybe-next-time exes. As I stood in the market looking at a sea of foreign spices, I saw something sweet and familiar: Aidan. I couldn’t help but wonder: Inside every confident, forward-looking woman, was a part of her heart looking back wondering “What If?” Maybe life is like a crowded market in Abu Dhabi. It’s more than a little bazaar. You never know what you’re going to find, and there are so many paths it’s easy to get lost. But sometimes, if you have a perfectly cooked meal waiting for you at home, it’s best not to pick up anything at the market. Plus, New Yorkers travel with enough baggage already. Everyone loves adventure, but maybe life’s biggest adventure is loving someone so much you forget the old “What Ifs.” After all, when one Dior closes, another opens. And the other could be Big. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Mar 16, 2017 at 4:59am PDT

 

There’s no better city in the world than New York in the spring. Long lazy picnics in Central Park, farmer’s market pretzels in Union Square, freshly planted tulips on Park Avenue. And as flowers bloom, fashion blossoms. Daisies & Dior. Lilies & Lanvin. Gladiolus & Galliano. As I looked at all the flowers opening up, I couldn’t help but wonder: Maybe I could, too. Maybe I could let my heart out of hibernation and open myself up to love. After all, seasons change. Can people? With a spring in my step, I was frozen no more. And the best part is: When your heart blooms, you don’t even have to stop to smell the roses. The flowers follow you. And that’s just fabulous. Because even a New Yorker needs a little nature. #CarrieDragshaw

A post shared by Dan Clay (@dan_clay) on Apr 14, 2017 at 5:10am PDT