Emily in Paris wouldn’t be the show that it is without a number of things: Lily Collins as its indomitable lead, Emily Cooper; the impossibly glamorous Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as her venomous boss, Sylvie; the musical stylings of Ashley Park’s Mindy; the picturesque surroundings of various European capitals; and, of course, the costumes.
With her Eiffel Tower-printed blouses, retina-searing berets, high-low hemlines, and Audrey Hepburn cosplay, the Midwestern marketing executive made, er, quite a splash in the City of Light—and has been upping the ante ever since. Last season, upon relocating to Rome, there were a flurry of Roman Holiday tributes. But when we reunite with our heroine this time around, she’s much more settled in her new home. The clashing prints and occasionally mind-boggling impracticality remains, naturally, but there’s also a little more structure and grounding—more suits and jumpsuits, more trousers and shorts, a scarf tied at the neck to protect her from “colpo d’aria” (a hit of wind, as Emily explains), and more flats, all paired with Collins’s sleek new bob.
Responsible for this Roman makeover is the twice Emmy-nominated French costume designer Marylin Fitoussi, who has been overseeing the fashion of Darren Star’s Netflix hit since day one. (Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada’s Patricia Field was a costume consultant on the first two seasons before handing the reins fully to her esteemed colleague.) When I meet the exuberant Fitoussi on Zoom—she in bright red lipstick, a striking black headscarf, and a shirt with fluorescent frills—the origins of Emily’s style are immediately and abundantly clear.
Ahead of the show’s arrival on December 18—and the release of her new book Emily in Paris: The Fashion Guide (Assouline), with a foreword by Darren Star—Fitoussi talks us through her most unexpected muses for this season, dressing Emily for a dazzling trip to Venice, and the supporting character who will soon emerge as a stealthy style icon.
Vogue: When we see Emily in Rome, she looks very settled—she’s in more suits, prints, the little neck scarves. What’s changed about her style?
Marylin Fitoussi: It’s more elevated. There are a lot of Italian brands: Dolce Gabbana, Fendi, Moschino. In the little scarves and everything else, there’s something quite romantic. She’s more relaxed, more sensual. For once, she’s chosen love over work, so her clothes needed to reflect that. There are romantic silhouettes, too—’50s-style cuts, big tulip skirts. And Emily wears more red. It’s the colour of love, of passion, of Louboutin soles, of power. This time, Emily breaks the rules and is totally fearless.
There’s also a new haircut—very sleek and modern—which meant we could change up the proportions of Emily’s look to fit better with that. And I also pay tribute to a lot of black-and-white, ’50s Italian movies.
Who are the movie stars of that era that inspired you?
Sophia Loren—the movies she made with Marcello Mastroianni, like Marriage Italian Style and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, and also Arabesque. Silvana Mangano in Bitter Rice, Claudia Cardinale, Anna Magnani. They’re icons, and they had real style and personality. They also wore a lot of polka dots, which you see on Emily this season, too.
The Audrey Hepburn references aren’t as pronounced as last season, but they’re still in there, right?
There’s a look which has that Audrey silhouette—the capri pants, boatneck top, and ballet shoes. It’s simple, sharp, and powerful, and quite a departure for Emily. She learns from Sylvie that sometimes less is more, and there are a few more looks like that. And you’ll see Emily in more flats this season, too. She’s more grounded and mature.
Tell me about your other unexpected muses?
There was Juliette Gréco during her Saint-Germain-des-Prés days with Miles Davis—there’s a very simple black look which references that. The silhouette is so pure, it’s almost shocking in the show. There’s also a reference to Capucine in The Pink Panther, with this retro, ’70s, brocade Huishan Zhang coat. And there’s some ’70s Anita Pallenberg in there, with the printed jumpsuits.
Beyond that, there’s some mob wife—a bit Sharon Stone in Casino. It’s that feeling and those fabrics in one look, though our silhouette is different. And there’s a Galliano vintage jacket and pencil skirt that’s quite Tippi Hedren in The Birds. It’s beautiful.
And how does Emily’s style change between Rome and Venice?
The Venice outfits are even more romantic. Emily arrives in Venice in this polka dot Stine Goya crop top and tulip skirt.
With the monochrome, the silhouette, and the playfulness, it felt to me a bit like Carrie arriving in Paris?
It was probably in the corner of my mind—maybe an unconscious tribute. The cut is very simple but the proportions are a bit more extravagant. I love Sex and the City, so maybe you’re right. It’s in the same tradition of when you arrive in a new place and want to look spectacular.
Coming on to Sylvie, she wears a naked dress this season that I thought was sensational. What’s she like in Rome versus Paris?
That dress is from The Attico. Sylvie’s much more sensual in Rome. She shows her sexuality in a very different way compared to Paris—it’s almost a bit more aggressive. In Paris, you’ll see her in beautiful Alberta Ferretti archive pieces, and she’s sexy and powerful, but she’s more in control and wears more suits. You see her body more in Rome. The shapes and materials are different. In this season’s last episode, in Venice, she wears another Attico look—a metal dress. It’s simple but powerful as hell.
And Mindy always brings it, of course. What are your favourite looks on her this season?
There’s a great beaded blue minidress, a yellow dress, and a lime green look from a young Spanish designer, Celia B. That’s one of my favorites because it’s so unexpected.
You also dressed Minnie Driver this season, who plays Sylvie’s friend Princess Jane, a very eccentric member of the royal family.
It was love at first sight. She arrived on set the night before we started shooting, so I was sweating, like, Please, God, give me the right dress for her. But we connected straight away and built her character. She wore Stéphane Rolland, Selezza, La DoubleJ, Dolce Gabbana, and some vintage pieces. We leaned into that clichéd, dramatic Italian style, and had a lot of fun.
And, finally, the double act that is Luc and Julien. How have their respective styles evolved?
We’re having even more fun with Julien now, and even Luc—he’s now a dandy. He also has his fashion moment this season, at a party at Maxim’s, and it’s Belle Époque. He looked great. It was a hit on the set. Some of the girls were jealous, and saying, “Hey, aren’t we supposed to be the fashion icons in the show?” It was a moment.
Emily in Paris Season 5 will stream on Netflix from December 18.
