Before it was a Y2K throwback, the newspaper dress belonged to Carrie Bradshaw. Now it belongs to Rosalía.
The Spanish artist was recently photographed on the streets of Mexico City in a sleeveless newspaper-print midi dress from Desigual, instantly reviving one of fashion’s most recognizable graphic prints for a new generation.
A Print With History
Newspaper print has been embedded in fashion’s visual language for more than two decades, but nothing cemented its cultural status quite like Sex and the City. Carrie Bradshaw’s newspaper dress became one of the defining fashion moments of the early 2000s — a look so iconic it’s still referenced today. As Y2K style continues its runway resurgence, the print is finding fresh relevance with a new set of tastemakers, Rosalía among them.
Not Just a Throwback — It’s Personal
For Desigual, the print carries extra weight. Newspaper graphics have long been part of the Barcelona-born brand’s own creative DNA, and for its latest collection, the label has reworked the motif into something distinctly its own. Instead of recreating traditional newsprint, the pattern reads like a “newspaper of Desigual” — weaving the brand’s name and historical milestones into the fabric itself. It’s less a nod to a trend and more a visual timeline of the brand.
The Dress Itself
The piece Rosalía wore is a sleeveless midi dress in lightweight fabric, cut in a regular fit with a round neckline and a flowing flared skirt. The silhouette stays clean and simple, letting the all-over graphic print take full center stage.
It’s also just one part of a bigger story: the newspaper motif extends across a wider capsule, appearing on tops, skirts, shirts, trousers, and accessories — Desigual’s full-scale reinterpretation of a print that’s already lived several lives in fashion, TV, and pop culture.
The Takeaway
From Carrie Bradshaw’s closet to the streets of Mexico City, the newspaper dress keeps finding new protagonists — and this time, Desigual is the one writing the headline.
