Emily in Paris
How do you move forward in an industry where you need to catch the eyes of your audience/clients in two seconds no matter the message (be it in a tv show, social media or even in real life), where all we want to do is consume everything fast, often with zero care about our planet?
We cannot deconstruct the vision on the #EmilyinParis #tvshow production. It is what it is: a fast-consuming modern series. Costume designer Marylin Fitoussi’s ensembles have been described « cartoonish », « tacky », to which Fitoussi responds, “I don’t care.”
« It’s just the lesson of being yourself. Who is imposing the rules? Who decides what will be in or out? That you are in fashion or out of fashion? Obviously, I don’t pay attention to that.”
I totally agree. The importance of being yourself is a long journey, it takes many mistakes, it takes money spent on clothes that do not fit as well as it looks on Instagram or in tv shows.
I have been working for 5 years in fashion and retail, I have encountered clients from different cities, with different budgets, and it is not an overstatement to say that many of my clients had, at some point in their life, a sort of “style crisis”. They feel overwhelmed by the amount of options they have, by the lack of knowledge on how to play with prints and patterns as well as Madame Fitoussi, they do not recognise themselves in their wardrobe, they have nothing to wear etc.
The tv show encourages exactly this pattern of shopping. It lacks the sense of artistry that I personally like to see, but the producers are right with one thing: the series shows the pulse of mass culture - it is loud, extravagant and eye-catching.
The fact that the success of the first season gave them access to an elevated wardrobe is visible, but that does do not make the stylings better or more inspiring. The same technical team, working in the same way and having more resources could have produced something bigger in complexity and artistically speaking. However, they chose to invest in an eye-catching wardrobe which lacks long-lasting inspiration, that kind of wardrobe which “ends up in empty air bags in the basement”.
Despite the less inspiring styling choices, there were many pieces and brands that I loved noticing in season 2. I loved seeing @Courreges, @Rotatebirgerchristensen, @maisonmichele @barrie @carel @rogervivier @balmain.
I hope that you will be encouraged to move forward embracing change with a grand sense of fun, to be bolder, more daring, and more confident with your stylings, that instead of trying to fit the mold you take pride in your distinctive and unique look. I hope you are encouraged in a sense of individuality when choosing your style, that you choose elegance over everything else. And I hope you understand that fashion is more than having everything you see on virtual medias but what you you choose to do with it
Love from Paris,
Dana
