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Late last fall, Arian Moayed was on a plane to Berlin to participate in a protest against the ongoing situation in Iran when he opened the script for an adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen-famed “A Doll’s House.” The play was written in 1879 and set in Norway, about a woman trapped in a controlling marriage. As long as he’d lived in New York working as an actor, Moayed had considered the classic to be off limits for him.
“To be honest, when I moved to the city in 2002, I was only cast as Iranian or Israeli. And so I was just like, ‘I’m never going to be in ‘A Doll’s House’ on Broadway,’” he says.

Yet there he was on the plane reading Amy Herzog’s modern adaptation, and all he could see was Iran.

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“I remember going to the protest and just walking the protest and seeing women there. And I was like, ‘This play fits what the world is happening in Iran,’” says Moayed, whose family immigrated from Iran to the Chicago area when he was six years old. “My entire Iranian family came a couple Saturdays ago. Thirty-six Iranians, all immigrants, all here, we’re all immigrants. I’m the youngest of everyone. And the entirety of the conversation was about Iran. They’re not even seeing it in the lens of a Western person. They only see Iran. They’re just seeing, ‘Oh, men dominating over women in Iran has been a thing that’s been happening for 44 years and now they’ve been caught.’ That’s what they see.”

Arian Moayed

Lexie Moreland/WWD

Moayed portrays Torvald opposite Jessica Chastain in the production, which is currently running on Broadway, in what has been a widely critically acclaimed show. Cut down from its original two-plus hours, this version is one hour and 45 minutes, no intermission, no props, no set aside from a few wooden chairs, and no major costuming, aside from simple, modern navy and black clothes. It’s an intense, full-on journey that grips you in your seat from start to finish, and leaves Moayed and the rest of the cast spent by the end.

“I told my wife Krissy [Shields], ‘I’m done saying I’m exhausted.’ And she goes, ‘Thank you,’” Moayed says. “She’s like, ‘I don’t want to hear that you’re exhausted again.’”

Moayed has been acting professionally since moving to New York, but his main focus has been Waterwell, the nonprofit he cofounded 20 years ago that uses the arts and education to talk about social justice issues. 

“And then all of a sudden ‘Succession’ happens,” Moayed says. He plays “hedge fund douche bag” Stewy Hosseini on the show, which returns for its final season on Sunday. 

“As gross as this is going to sound, as an artist, I find that the writing is the key element to everything,” he says of the show. “Even in ‘A Doll’s House,’ I mean, the real star of our show is Amy. So that was the fun aspect of [‘Succession’]. And I’ve known Jeremy [Strong] for a long time, and so having scenes with Jeremy was fun, being old friends.”

“A Doll’s House” runs through June 10 and “Succession” will wrap up in late May. Beyond then, Moayed is “excited to see what’s out there,” but is taking the time to savor each night on stage.

“Just toe to toe with Jessica is really a dream. And as actor nerds, she and I are having a back-to-college [experience],” he says. “It feels like, ‘Oh, I want to try this.’ And she’s a phenom, so I’m just trying to enjoy those moments with her because it really is a special thing.”

The “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That,” hasn’t disappointed fans with its fashion.The show, which follows the characters Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (played by Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (played by Kristin Davis), has delivered several standout fashion moments that reference beloved pieces from the original series (i.e. Bradshaw’s wedding shoes), as well as include new sought-after garments and accessories, such as bags from Gucci and Balenciaga’s Hacker Project.
“What we brought in new was just updating it. Making it more modern. Working with new designers, new young designers, internationally,” said Danny Santiago, one of the reboot’s costume designers, in an interview with WWD. “Because of Instagram, we were able to find all these new people that we could bring in. But again, sticking to what the girls had already as far as their types of looks.”

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Here, WWD breaks down some of the best fashion moments from the “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That.” Read on for more. 
The Manolo Blahnik “Wedding Shoes”

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That”
Courtesy of HBO

“And Just Like That” started off with a fashion Easter egg in the first episode where Bradshaw brings out her beloved blue satin Manolo Blahnik Hangisi pumps — which she calls her “wedding shows” because she wore them when she married Mr. Big in the first “Sex and the City” movie — to wear to York’s daughter’s piano recital.
The fun fashion moment didn’t last long, as Bradshaw’s shoes were ruined after she came home to find her husband dying of a heart attack in the shower.
The Oscar de la Renta Dresses

Cathy Ang in “And Just Like That”
Courtesy of HBO

The reboot’s first episode introduces the audience to York’s now-teenage children, Lily and Rock, who attend the former’s piano recital in matching floral dresses from Oscar de la Renta. Lily, played by Cathy Ang, wears the Rosette cocktail dress, while her younger sibling Rock, played by Alexa Swinton, reluctantly wears a maxi version featuring the same floral design. The dresses matched that of their mother, who wore a similar floral dress from Lela Rose.
The Fendi Purple Sequined Baguette Bag

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That”
Courtesy of HBO

Following Mr Big’s death and her return to her West Village apartment, Bradshaw seemingly went back to her fashion roots, wearing an oversize tulle white skirt paired with a striped sweater.
She again dips into her fashion archives by pairing the look with her iconic Fendi purple sequined baguette bag, which made an appearance in the original series’ third season in a memorable scene where Bradshaw gets mugged on the street.
The Unknown Dress

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That”
Courtesy of HBO

Controversy ensued before the reboot aired when paparazzi shots captured Parker dressed in a paisley print dress that was initially labeled as a piece from Forever 21. The possibility of Bradshaw wearing a dress from the fast-fashion retailer came as a surprise to many who were used to the character exclusively dressing in high-end designers.
The controversy soon dissipated after the show’s costume designers revealed the piece was purchased at a vintage store years earlier and didn’t come with tags, therefore it was unclear what brand the dress came from.

Nevertheless, the outfit — which was finally seen in the third episode — became one of the more standout looks from the season when Bradshaw paired the look with a handbag from the Gucci and Balenciaga Hacker Project and shimmery heels by Terry de Havilland.
The LTW Raglan Dress

Nicole Ari Parker in “And Just Like That.”
Craig Blankenhorn/Courtesy of HBO

One of the show’s newcomers is actress Nicole Ari Parker’s Lisa Todd Wexley — known also as LTW — who becomes friends with York through their children’s school. Wexley invites York and her husband over for a dinner party where she wears a Rianna + Nina vintage raglan dress in the brand’s carnival print.
She paired the look with her signature chunky jewelry, including a Patricia von Musulin ebony and amber necklace, Mark Davis Jewelry bangles, a Monies black oversize bracelet, Emefa jewelry ring and We Dream in Colour swan earrings.
The Fendi Look

Sarita Choudhury in “And Just Like That.”
Craig Blankenhorn/Courtesy of HBO

“And Just Like That” has seen several other style stars emerge, including real estate agent Seema Patel, played by Sarita Choudhury. Patel wears several chic outfits throughout the season, including a brown georgette shirt and matching satin skirt from Fendi’s fall 2021 collection, the first designed by Kim Jones, in the fourth episode.
She paired the look with other high-fashion accessories from Valentino including a gold belt, studded platform sandals and the Roman Stud handbag.
The Leopard Print Suit

Sarita Choudhury in “And Just Like That.”
Craig Blankenhorn/Courtesy Photo

Patel had another standout fashion moment in episode six wearing a brown leopard print suit from Etro, which she paired with Linda Farrow sunglasses and Verdura Jewelry.
The Norma Kamali Diana Gown

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That.”
Courtesy of HBO

Prior to the season airing, photos of Parker on set wearing a light blue bodycon dress by Norma Kamali went viral as fans quickly started referring to the look as the “new Carrie Bradshaw dress.” Many described the look as a more mature version of Bradshaw’s iconic “naked dress,” which was a landmark fashion moment in the original series.
Bradshaw wears the Norma Kamali dress during episode seven when she goes on her first date following Mr. Big’s death. She paired the dress with a vintage Max Mara blazer.
The Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier Suit

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That.”
Craig Blankenhorn/Courtesy of HBO

Perhaps one of her more polarizing looks, Bradshaw went for a vintage moment in episode seven wearing a gray suit paired with a brown polka dot shirt, red tie and purple jacket from Jean Paul Gaultier’s spring 1997 collection.

The Smoking Outfit

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That.”
Courtesy of HBO

Fans were left puzzled when photos of Parker on set were released of her wearing what seemed like one of the most bizarre outfits in Bradshaw’s history. The look consisted of a pink gingham Batsheva house dress, undone Mary Jane heels, a blue hoodie, a patterned hair scarf and purple dishwashing gloves.
The look made its appearance in the show’s eighth episode where it was made clear that Bradshaw’s look was in fact intentional. As she was weening her cigarette usage to just one a day, she stated that if cigarette smoke lingered on her clothes it would hinder her progress, therefore she wore a specific outfit to take her daily smoking break. 
The Versace Mille Feuille Dress

Sarah Jessica Parker in “And Just Like That.”
Craig Blankenhorn/Courtesy of HBO

Episode eight brought back another beloved piece from the original “Sex and the City” series: Bradshaw’s Versace “Mille Feuille” dress that she wore in the original show’s two-part series finale. The dress made its debut while Bradshaw was in Paris with then-boyfriend Aleksandr Petrovsky, who coined the dress’ name because of its many tulle layers.
The dress returns in the reboot series during a scene where Bradshaw is going through her fashion archives, bringing it out to impress Patel and saying she only wore the gown twice (once in Paris and once while sitting in her apartment to eat a whole thing of Jiffy Pop).
Bradshaw ultimately wears the gown again at the very end of the episode after making amends with her younger downstairs neighbor, who tells Bradshaw that she’s cool.
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