Stylish Interview with Marylin Fitoussi, Stylist of Emily In Paris
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The fashion world of the hit series Emily in Paris was created by her.
As the filming of season 3 is about to begin, Marilyn Fitoussi granted us an interview to talk about her work. The stylist, who studied at the Louvre, skillfully handles the colors and extravagant outfits that have contributed to the series’ success.
No spoilers for season 3, which will be coming out on Netflix soon, but only fashion, pure fashion to immerse ourselves in the vibrant world of Emily in Paris.
Do you already have costume ideas when reading the script for season 3 of Emily in Paris?
We receive the scripts three weeks before filming, so we need to anticipate.
Now that we know the series and the actors well, we know there will be openings, parties, office wear, jogger outfits, brunches with friends, dates…
I will watch all the fashion shows, see the pieces that inspire me, and that will help me tell this new season of Emily in Paris.
I think we will stay in this colorful, eclectic silhouette. Emily is not going to transform into a true Parisian with a blazer, jeans, and a t-shirt; that would disappoint everyone, and you wouldn’t want to see that.
Was it your wish to keep Emily in Paris’ clothing style extravagant and vibrant?
People want to continue seeing things that disturb, upset, please, that they can criticize, adore, love to criticize, and replicate. Going back to a formatted and normal silhouette would be a sign of boredom. Do we want to watch this series to see everyday outfits? No, we want to dream, to see women perfectly styled, made up by 10 a.m., in high heels and form-fitting dresses.
This is what made Sex And The City a success and what Darren Star wanted to keep. The characters never changed their style but evolved with the fashion of the moment.
How would you define the style of season 3 of Emily in Paris?
The writing for the season began in early March, so it’s still very recent.
Darren is someone very surprising and he always has a few surprises up his sleeve, so if he takes us on a trip, we go with him!
For season 2, we found out just a few days before that we were going to Saint Tropez.
The scripts are distributed once they are finished and they are almost constantly being rewritten.
I always want to keep an eclectic and colorful side for Emily.
I’m working on a new series set in the 50s, and I’m quite inspired by the New Wave cinema at the moment. Am I going to unconsciously reproduce 50s or 60s silhouettes? I don’t know.
I have a very physical, visceral relationship with fabrics. Often, it’s the fabrics that inspire me.
I have a phobia of solid fabrics that panic me.
Does working with fashion consultant Patricia Field, who is American, bring a new dynamic? Perhaps a bit less conventional?
Yes, of course, it brings a very interesting dynamic and a fresh perspective because Americans have their own view of chic. I learned a lot from working with Patricia and Darren Star. They taught me to not take reality too seriously.
There’s an anecdote I can share: When I discovered the character of Mindy (Ashley Park), an au pair in Paris in the script of the first season. In her first scene, she is in a park with the children she takes care of. I dressed her in an oversized hoodie, shorts because she has beautiful legs, and a pair of sneakers on her feet; even though they were trendy, they were big sneakers because, for me, based on reality, that’s what a young girl would wear to run after the kids. When they saw this silhouette, Patricia and Darren looked at each other and said, “What is this?” Already, the oversized look is a bit complicated, and above all, I learned with them that fashion doesn’t necessarily have to represent reality in series. It was a great lesson and a huge liberation. I would have never done that in a French series, for example. People criticized Emily a lot at first, saying she arrived with two little suitcases, changing outfits and handbags every day. We don’t care. With what she earns, how can she have so much Chanel? We don’t care. I learned to trust myself. Darren knows his audience, and he loves making romantic comedies; they love for the world to be idealized, which suits me just fine. I had to understand this vision.
I had to adopt their codes, and it was good because it also enriched my aesthetic vocabulary.
How did Lily Collins react to the outfits?
She is very professional in an American way; even if she has doubts at first, she trusts and tries things out. When I suggested the total pink look, she looked at me and said, “are you sure? That’s a lot of pink.” I replied, “If you need to embrace a color, go for it.”
She tried it and loved it! Lily adds her own style to bring more subtleties to her character.
A few words about Camille’s character?
I love Camille because she is drastically opposed to Emily. It’s very fun to work on these two extremes.
On one side with Emily, I allow myself all the liberties, and on the other side with Camille, we work with smaller brands like Maison Pierre in Paris, Danish, Finnish, and Swedish designers. I love to propose new creators who are not yet known because there is talent everywhere.
Camille has a great sense of style, she loves fashion a lot and has her own style desires. We seek looks that are more minimalist but interesting.
For me, it’s a real exercise in style because I also know how to create more chic characters like Sylvie, played by Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu.
The characters are so well-defined that everything remains very readable.
I have a lot of fun because I have all styles to propose.
Follow the fashion by watching the new season of Emily in Paris on Netflix.
