Emmy Nominee Marylin Fitoussi: ‘Fashion is part of the DNA of ‘Emily in Paris’.”

“Life is too short to wear boring clothes, and the world needs fantasy, not reality.” – Marylin Fitoussi.

Emily in Paris is the ultimate escapist fantasy— a gorgeous cast (led by Lily Collins) parading around the city of love in eye-catching, lust-worthy fashion. The high drama and love triangles (or pentagons?) make Emily in Paris a fun, breezy watch, but it’s the clothes (and bags, and shoes, and jewelry) that really pop.

Fitoussi, one of the Emmy-nominated costume designers of the Netflix series, is all about mixing patterns, textures, and colors in unexpected ways—and hopes that fans are similarly inspired to try new things and experiment with their wardrobes.

Here, the Paris-based costume designer answers some burning questions about her “dream job” and dives into working with the cast to shape the wardrobes, her inspirations, and fashion philosophies.

Read our full Q&A with Marylin Fitoussi below:

Awards Daily: Fashion really is a character within Emily in Paris. What is your philosophy on how fashion shapes the story?

Marylin Fitoussi: Costume designers are storytellers. We work to bring fantasy to the screen; people want to see clothes, jewels, and bags; they want to see something that fuels their imagination. My job is to give them something to dream about. Fashion is about dream and illusion.

I love eclecticism; I like putting together pieces you might not have thought of, avoiding trends, perfection, and normality. Life is too short to wear boring clothes, and the world needs fantasy, not reality.

Every character is styled with this idea in mind; dressing up. People don’t do that anymore; we are here to change that. I’m not tied to reality.

AD: I’ve read that you prefer to take individual pieces from designers (rather than whole outfits) and mix and match them to create looks. That seems like such a fun and fabulous puzzle to put together.

MF: I generally don’t do a total look from a single designer (except once for a head-to-toe floral print look on Emily). My job is to take their creation in another direction, with another vision, in complete freedom, and mix my [ideas] with high-end, low-end, classic labels, vintage, and up-and-coming designers.

Every conversation is a true collaboration with actors. I don’t want to play safe. The way I mix patterns and fabrics can be disconcerting, but what I’m trying to do is provoke new ideas about how pieces can be put together in different ways. And I’ve gained the actors’ confidence. I never say, ‘Let’s do a fitting.’ I say, ‘Let’s go to the lab.’ We are constantly experimenting with ideas and new directions.

Costumes need to work with characters; I encourage every actor to work with me on building their character. It’s nice to open a dialogue with an actor about their clothes, particularly when they understand what they are wearing. It’s very important to consider the actor’s opinion; if your actor feels uncomfortable or has another idea about the direction that character should go, you must be open and prepared to change. And the actors encourage me to be more free, bold, and daring every season. 

AD: Each piece tells a story and has a purpose. Can you pick a piece from the season that stands out and share why you chose it and how it serves the moment?

MF: Clothes reveal much more than they hide. Emily is getting a stronger voice at work, feels more confident in Paris, always has the courage of her convictions, and has never shied away from statement pieces. I’m thinking of the Dolce Gabbana zebra print structured jacket with outrageous proportions. I love the quiet boldness of the jacket saying, ‘Here I am.’

I really love architectural proportions, like the two black Stephane Rolland dresses seen on Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and Madeline (Kate Walsh). Couture and architecture—it’s all about proportions. 

 AD: How has fashion evolved from the first season? It’s fun to see Emily’s style get bolder as she’s gained confidence.

MF: It’s always challenging and fun to reinvent Emily’s looks from season to season. Lily and I had a lot of conversations about how we changed and grew and matured her character. What can be new for Emily that makes a statement but is still very true to who she is? We needed to bring in this young and optimistic professional from Midwest who is trying to adapt to French culture.

As Emily becomes more confident in Paris, she finds her place; we embrace the idea of a quiet boldness and more French influence in her look. But I like to keep a duality in Emily’s style, a cultural clash. Paris is an opportunity for her to dress up, keeping her strong personality.

Her unapologetic way of embracing textures, colors, and prints has stayed constant. I love to play with this unconventional style; I think we are in a new era in fashion; it’s more about individual and personal style. 

AD: I love how accessories are used in the show. (The handbags are my favorite part of any outfit on the show). Can you tell me more about how those pieces are chosen?

MF: Accessories can change an outfit. The right accessory can elevate any clothes and give punch and individuality. I love high-statement accessories and chunky jewels. Jewelry is the most transformative thing you can wear. Sometimes jewels or accessories are the starting point of a silhouette.

And yes, we have an incredible collection of bags; it’s a magical vision every morning to enter the fitting room and watch this impressive sea of bags! A true pleasure. 

I generally try to avoid the very trendy bags from the season. I usually prefer timeless and vintage bags—a nice way to express your personality. I also find that hard, structured bags are more photogenic on camera.

AD: Men’s fashion often takes a backseat to women’s fashion; that’s not the case with Emily in Paris. What can you tell me about your approach to styling the men?

MF: We have a beautiful casting with strong and different personalities. Fashion is part of the DNA of Emily in Paris, and men are moving [up] from the backseat.

Julien [Samuel Arnold], Pierre Cadault [Jean-Christophe Bouvet], and Gregory Dupree [Jeremy O. Harris] are fearless about fashion, and they are very fun to design. They like to try new things, bright colors and allowed me to push boundaries. Characters such as Luc [Bruno Gouery], Alfie [Lucien Laviscount], and Gabriel [Lucas Bravo] are less flamboyant, but they have their own style too. They have attitude and feel confident— with those characters— it’s more about proportions, color palette, and details.

AD: What look do you think best encapsulates the fashion of Emily in Paris and your role as the costume designer?

MF: I think after watching Emily in Paris, every woman can feel fearless, open her closet, and mix it up in a different way, with much more freedom, texture, patterns, high brands, affordable brands, and vintage. I love graphics; I study textile design, that’s the reason why I love patterns and texture so much; solid colors make me feel anxious. 

So I’ll choose the 60’s inspired green and white Miu Miu coat, styled with an Ungaro vintage skirt that I bought in season 1 with a vintage t-shirt from Jean Charles de Castelbajac with an Alphonse Maitre Pierre green bag paired with velvet socks and Louis Vuitton shoes. It perfectly balances vintage, classic, high-end, and upcoming designer. 

AD: I love that the show plays with mixing styles, colors, and textures; it’s inspired me to try new combinations. What inspires you? What do you avoid? What’s something about fashion today that excites you? 

 MF: I’m just following my instincts, and this a dream job that allows me to be creative and to stay passionate. I’m trying to catch everything in the air and do it my way.

 Clothes tell me a story; every piece I buy gives me emotion, a physical reaction. I can’t buy it if I don’t fall in love. I’m in a continual renewal of inspiration; I don’t want to do anything over again and bore myself. I’ve always tried to push myself and don’t play safe. I really do watch people in the street; I’m, of course, more attracted by people who don’t dress like anybody else. If you don’t dress like anybody else, you don’t think like anybody else.

 In fashion, I love and admire anybody who is different, takes risks, avoids the word ‘conformity,’ and doesn’t take fashion too seriously. I like to discover the way a fashion designer interprets reality.

Fashion is also about having fun. I watch all the runways to understand the trends, shapes, and colors of the moment and decide what I’m going to use and what I’m going to avoid. I never choose a trendy color or shape because I want to design timeless fashion. Fashion you can’t date in 10 years. 

Emily in Paris is streaming on Netflix.