There's been a considerable amount of criticism of Netflix's new show Emily In Paris over the last week. Hyped as the next Sex And The City, mainly due to the fact it has both the same creator, Darren Star, and stylist, Patricia Field, the Netflix-released series sees American protagonist Emily Cooper (played by Lily Collins) fail and succeed in a fish-out-of-water story set in Paris.
Despite all the ingredients for a pitch-perfect, zeitgeisty, fashionable and escapist show, its release on October 2 was met with a mixed reaction, with accusations that the series peddles near-xenophobic French clichés, a white-washed portrayal of multicultural Paris, and downright bad outfits on our leading lady.
Unfortunately, I find myself agreeing.
As someone who can count how many times they've been to Paris (or any of France) on one hand, even I guffawed at the American saviour narrative of the show. I similarly wondered why, over 20 years since it's apparent inspiration SATC was released, Emily in Paris was only marginally more racially inclusive.
As for leading woman Cooper's personal style, I found it as chaotic as the next Patricia Field die-hard fan has and have had to conclude that Field was expressing the young expat's deep personal confusion, rudeness (she doesn't speak a smidge of French for crying out loud), and delusion through her frenzied dress sense.
All this being said, I did gobble up the show in mere days, and it wasn't just because I'm a sucker for trashy rom-coms, on her period, in the middle of a pandemic (though those facts did contribute), but more because of Cooper's boss Sylvie's (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), and new friend Camille's (Camille Razat), style.
Okay, and also because of the hot chef but shh.
Where Cooper and her wonderful, French-speaking fellow expat friend Mindy Chen largely failed with their pattern-clashing, over-accessorising, and generally manic sense of style, Sylvie and Camille were the cool-AF dressers that viewers deserve.
Instead of the in-your-face ensembles Cooper and Chen offered up (shirt with the Eiffel Tower on it? Anyone?) the two French natives managed to be both daring and pared-back in their leather jackets, and thigh-slit skirts.
Boss Sylvie, currently the mistress of sexy misogynist (I don't make the rules) Antoine Lambert (played by William Abadie, who is a cool 14 years Leroy-Beaulieu's junior), dresses like a women who knows exactly who she is, plus is super rich.
Dripping in edgy hardware jewellery and cinched in simple yet sexy silhouettes that you just know have iconic French fashion houses names stitched into their seams, Sylvie looks decidedly expensive and generally hot at all times.
Shop Sylvie's Style Now
As for pal Camille, her cool, sweet and open attitude that *SPOILER ALERT* Emily does not deserve, is evident in her edgy, but paired-back dress sense that features cult brands like Nodaleto and plenty of leather accents.
Plus, she is also super rich.
Shop Camille's Style
Not that literally anyone has asked or cares, but with series two of the contentious show confirmed, let me tell you, as long as Field keeps supplying the Sylvie and Camille sartorial gold, I'll be watching.
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![new york, new york may 06 doja cat attends the 2024 met gala celebrating sleeping beauties reawakening fashion at the metropolitan museum of art on may 06, 2024 in new york city photo by jamie mccarthygetty images](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/doja-cat-met-gala-2024-6639780f19cee.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.668xh;0,0.0823xh&resize=360:* "The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" - Arrivals")
