The visual aesthetics of the fantasy world of Emily in Paris is to fall for, and despite its many imperfections, fans love to binge on the show.
Emily In Paris is paraded as a fashion fantasy. The show has the most idealised Parisian life oozing with glamour and a dream-like quality that would put even Shakespearean plays to show. Far from reality, the show verges on being ludicrous with the protagonist, a mid-level pharmaceutical marketing executive, strolling around in vintage garments and branded items that would cost her decades of employment.
Besides Emily, here are a few memorable characters from the show:
The dreamy French chef who lives downstairs from Emily. Gabriel is the kind of guy who makes you wish you lived in Paris just for his cooking. He has got that brooding, mysterious thing going on, but he’s also sweet and genuine, which makes the whole Emily-Gabriel dynamic so complicated.
Sylvie is Emily’s boss, an ice-queen, Parisian chic sceptical of Emily’s American optimism. But deep down, you know she has got a soft spot.
These two are Emily’s colleagues at Savoir and are like the yin and yang of French office culture. Julien is fashion-forward, sassy, and always up for office drama. Luc is more laid-back, with a quirky sense of wit and an undying love for classic French cinema.
Emily could be the saccharine and maudlin heroine whom many viewers may not be able to look up to, but her quirks are something to talk about. Emily could be annoying with an inexplicable haughtiness that makes her blurt out some bitter truth and impose opinions on her superiors. Emily lacks ethos: quite evident as she flirts around with her friend’s boyfriend. For many times, Emily gets called out for her obnoxiousness. But to what extent do viewers not develop a fascination towards this vintage-clad heroine? She is confident enough to turn her mistakes into triumphs and sashay in the French couture of the 1980s and 1990s. The show’s visually stunning backdrop against this breezy classic Holly heroine worked in favour.
The show has its fair share of eye-rolling French cliches from baguette and cheese scenes to cute little dogs decking the streets. Paris is portrayed in a trite manner but perhaps by someone who loves the city! The beauty easily captures audiences’ imagination. Eventually, viewers give in to the make-believe, fantasy realm of Emily In Paris, vested with a degree of sophistication and nuance.
Paris is not la vie en rose, and in both Emily in Paris and Devil Wears Prada, viewers are quickly led to this truth. The authenticity of Parisian life cinematised, albeit scarce in comparison, lures viewers with a promise of fantasy and escapism. The duality offers a mystic allure, the success of which is well-evident. The two works grant some fashion gods to obsess over and unforgettable glimpses into the streetwear design industry. Viewers could not resist the charm.
Emily finds herself in a serious mess with her nonchalance towards the language and ignorance of French fashion. Her French colleagues are awful to her. A brat full of American brashness, she, nonetheless, never flinches from winning. She believes in ‘fake it till you make it’ and manifests this attitude with unwavering determination. This juxtaposition of a manic pixie dream girl and a struggling newcomer, a fish-out-of-water, does wonderful for the show’s positive vibes.
Emily In Paris is a light-hearted, feather-weighing, candyfloss drama, inconsequential and insubstantial. Yet, these aspects could not make a dent in its glory.
