Luxury fashion brands in Emily in Paris 2 - was it a good idea?
If you are here, you’ve probably already binge watched the second season of our most (or for some, least) favourite Netflix American character in Paris. And certainly, fashion is a big topic to discuss here.
Ms. Emily Cooper and her love-triangle adventures may be the main plot for this Darren Star directed show, but for fashion enthusiasts, Emily in Paris fashion choices are certainly frowned upon. The question in everyone's s mind is: do Americans in Paris really dress like that?
The etiquette for dressing à la Parisienne is quite simple: less is more. Often, this means wear no more than 3 colours at the sometime, keep accessories discrete and don’t make it look like you are trying too hard. Sophisticated is more. Chic is more. And mixing three patterns, accessories and wearing fingerless gloves is certainly not chic. At this point, some people would think the stylist of the show is to be blamed at. Surprisingly, the looks for Emily in Paris were created by legendary Patricia Field, who dazzled the world with her iconic costume work at Sex and the City. However, Emily in Paris style seems to be founded on a caricatural idea, based on what an American audience would like to see when a foreigner settles in Paris and works in a fashion-related company.
But even if a significant percentage of Parisiennes will scoff when the series is mentioned, Emily in Paris has been quite a success. And brands have noticed that.
Fashion houses like Balmain, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Dolce and Gabbana, and Mary Katrantzou, to mention some, got a notorious fashion-spotlight through styling. And in a more obvious product placement, a Rimowa luggage featuring the print visage of fashion character Pierre Cadault’s and a Vespa branded Christian Dior got prime screen time.
Rimowa’s Original Trunk XL - featuring Pierre Cadault’s portrait.
Julien and Luc presenting the Piaggio Vespa x Dior to Emily.
Retailers also booked their seat. La Samaritaine, the recent re opened Parisian grand magasin in front was the frame for Maison Lavau’x perfume launch event — and for some frisky moments between Madeline Wheeler, Antoine Lavaux and his wife.
It’s worth noting that all the above are LVMH-brands. Cleverly allocated, as none of them clash within the same product category, but cover a wide spectrum of retail with buzz-formats: brand collaboration and pop-ups.
While the fashion in the show may raise eyebrows, it’s clear that the dream of living in Paris is still a strong commercial asset for the city of lights. 58 million people watched the first season. Not a particularly profound series, or the best of anything, but this series will surely provide entertainment for those who tempted to book a ticket to Paris.
