Netflix ‘s ‘Emily in Paris’ is a Fashion Forward Piece of Escapism

In this time of limited travel and adventure, Emly in Paris is just what we needed.

Created by Sex and the City, Beverly Hills 90210 and Younger creator Darren Star, Emily in Paris is an exciting French adventure shown through the eyes of an American girl. The Netflix show stars the iconic Lily Collins as Emily, a Chicago native who travels to Paris without knowing how to speak French to work at a marketing firm with a high end clientele featuring brands similar to Chanel.

Emily in Paris is authentic in that it was filmed in the city of Paris over a four month period and seamlessly integrates the French language into the show’s dialogue. It also eloquently incorporates the French culture and cuisine.

One of my favorite parts of watching this series was the fashion. It’s no secret that Lily Collins can pull off anything but her styling and makeup shined through and painted her in her best light. Every episode, Collins was dressed to the nines in something created by costume designer Patricia Field. 

Emily in Paris includes a plethora of drama such as love triangles and affairs. For example, Emily’s boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) is having an affair with her best friend’s husband, Antoine who works for the company — something Sylvie claims to be well accepted in French culture. Emily makes it very clear that she does not believe in such a setup yet ultimately finds herself in the same situation when she unknowingly kisses Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) who has a girlfriend. And to make matters worse, his girlfriend happens to be one of Emily’s only friends in Paris. 

Then, there is the work drama with Emily’s job constantly on the line and her not getting along with Sylvie because she doesn’t speak French and “smiles too much.” She also often has creative differences with the rest of the office when it comes to marketing campaign ideas.

Aside from all of that, there are plenty of funny and lighthearted moments in the series as well — and of course lots of wine drinking. Throughout her first few months in Paris, Emily meets several men who take interest in her, makes a new best friend named Mindy (Ashley Park) and attends a number of exclusive elegant parties featuring Paris’s top designers and beauty moguls — so it’s safe to say Emily doesn’t have it all that bad.

Emily in Paris may not yet live up to Sex and the City or 90210, but like all classics it takes time. Since the tenth episode of the season left viewers with a ton of questions, it’s hard to imagine the show not getting a second season. In that case, I am looking forward to seeing how Emily and Gabriel move forward as well as how Emily’s relationship with Sylvie changes over time. Start watching Emily in Paris today.

Emily in Paris season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

By Blair Krassen @blairlyawake