Sarah Jessica Parker: Shoes Are "the Period at the End of a Sentence"

Walk a mile in a pair of SJP's stilettos? Well yes, we'd love to; thank you for asking.

From the grosgrain ribbons (nodding to the ribbons she tied in her hair as a little girl) to the flowers accents (that were inspired by her Sex and the City wardrobe), every intricate detail of Sara Jessica Parker's new shoe collection has a personal meaning behind it. Which only adds to the list of reasons why we've been waiting with bated breath to slip our toes into a pair of those oh-so-fabulous heels.

In fact, ever since our InStyle February cover girl teased us with the news that she was in the process of designing a collection last year, we've had our calendar marked for February 28, because today is the day that the SJP collection officially hits Nordstrom stores.

To really understand the scope of the collection, we thought it was only natural to spend an afternoon shopping for stilettos (and pumps, and espadrilles, and sandals) with the designer herself, during the opening of the SJP Collection Pop Up Shop in New York City. As she took us on a personal tour through her collection and helped us pick out the perfect pair to match our personality (note: she decided the "Carrie" T-strap pump was the no-brainer choice for us), Parker (above, in a Valentino dress, Fred Leighton pearls and a pair of her namesake shoes) talked candidly about the kind of woman her shoes really speak to, how it feels to finally have a collection, and why, oh why, we women are so obsessed with stilettos.

What kind of woman do you think your shoes really speak to?Anybody. It’s cross-generational, ages 17 to 87. I think there’s something here for everybody. That’s the type of person I am. I’m really democratic, and I want this collection to speak to a lot of people. It’s the way I function in my life. I walk down the street and I’m extremely excited to speak to a neighbor of mine who’s 86, and a young girl who’s making her way to her first-grade classroom, and the two wonderful men who live down the block from me who I’ve known for 30 years. I tend to think about a large group rather than just one person. You get really limited if you’re just thinking about one woman for one collection. I think it doesn’t allow liberty of ideas.

The shoes are often the last part of the outfit to be decided on, yet they can make or break a look. What is it about shoes that fuels our obsession with them so very much?I think it’s a very personal experience. It can be the period at the end of a sentence. It’s the one thing that can add color or height or dimension, or spirit or seriousness or whimsy to an outfit. And a dress tends to not do that much work, but shoes do a lot of the heavy lifting.

And alas, we've been so distracted by the shoes, but we're also eying your handbags! The bags come in five colors, and this is truly just the beginning. The bag collection for pre-fall and fall is my favorite I’ve ever, ever seen. Ever!

So, how does it feel to have your designs finally come to fruition?A real privilege. A delight. A dream!

Look for the SJP Collection exclusively at Nordstrom stores and nordstrom.com starting today.

Want more Sarah Jessica Parker? See her 25 best looks ever in our gallery!

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