The latest fashion inspired TV-show, that is everywhere, is Emily in Paris. Regardless of all the fresh faces we get to see in the show, the mind behind the costume design is Patricia Field. A decision that came as a non-surprise as she has already worked twice with creator Darren Star (Sex and The City and Younger). We may not be really strangers to Patricia’s work, if you (like me) are into chick flicks and romantic comedies.
I’m sure you will know at least one complete dialogue of The Devils Wears Prada, well Patricia Field is responsible for Andy’s amazing make-over.
So, how come the mastermind behind two of the most stylish characters of TV and film history (Carrie Bradshaw and Andy Sachs) could be the one to blame for the fashion disaster that Emily in Paris was?
Many things have changed since Patricia’s old jobs aired, also the way we consume and learn fashion. Everything is more global now. Thanks to Instagram and yes, Pinterest, we can distinguish styles and trends, and make them our own. It seems that Patricia’s head is still in 2006 where we were still trying to copy-cat the French je ne sais quoi and the New Yorker’s fashion sense. As we try to make this world a more inclusive one, Patricia’s ideas are still placed within older stereotypes and clichés that may not be well-received by all publics, as they can also be xenophobic.
Emily’s outfits are all American classic girly -Gossip Girl inspired- look trying to be French, this is so last decade.
What is more 2020 than accepting your own culture, skin tone, and show it proudly? In every scene, it seems that Emily is trying so hard!
I mean, all the berets and the Eiffel Tower print shirt. Come on? Really? Are the French this predictable? Of course not. As proof, we have Camille’s almost effortless cool and so Parisian chic outfits, that contrast with Emily’s outfits in all of the 10 episodes of the first season.
The story is full of powerful women. We have Emily, that flew away from the US to pursue her dream job, Camille that is a successful gallerist and Sylvie, Emily’s boss at Savoir, being this last character, the one to keep an eye on. She is always so fancy and elegant, she is off patterns with a defined color palette, and very into Rick Owens. A true fashion icon and woman power, she is all that I, personally, aspire to be. Another important fact in the story that I’m grateful for is that Sylvie is a grown-up woman, and she is still SEXY!! This should be a watershed moment for future shows to know that after 30 women are still beautiful, intelligent with stories worthy of being told.
