Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays columnist Carrie Bradshaw, stole the show with her soaring Philip Treacy hat. She was joined by co-stars Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, known on screen as Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. They were eager to gloss over the reported problems that delayed the film's production — and chat instead of the boost the series has given their careers.

"Professionally it's been the best 10 years of my life. I wouldn't have wanted to have done it any differently with any different women or any different men," Parker said. "So it's been glorious."

All were dressed in the designer clothes that made the series about sex and shopping such a huge fashion-industry hit. Parker's hat, bearing flowers, grasses and a butterfly, was complemented by a pale green dress by Alexander McQueen — an outfit Carrie would have loved. Cattrall wore a red Vivienne Westwood dress and Nixon was in a floor length black pleated Calvin Klein gown. Davis wore a more modest vintage fuschia dress.

There had been some controversy over the decision to hold the premiere in London rather than New York, the city showcased so beautifully in the series. But Nixon said Monday's premiere was just a build up to the main event in New York.

"We're having a kind of smallish premiere here (and) we're having a smallish premiere in Berlin. We're building to the New York premiere which is enormous and happens just before the film opens worldwide," she said.

The film opens May 30 in the United States.