Emily In Paris’ Costume Designer Defends The Show’s $$$ Fashion

There’s a new season of Emily in Paris, which means that, once again, there’s one question that must be asked: Will Emily and Gabriel actually end up together? How can Emily afford her designer wardrobe??

Ahead of the Netflix show’s fourth season, viewers have continued to press for answers, even calling for more promotion of financial realism. “The lifestyle of Emily in Paris makes absolutely no sense,” wrote one user on X. “I want to see her budget.”

To give you a ballpark estimate, studies have determined that Emily spends about $73,000 more than what she could possibly earn in a year. She’s like the 2020s version of Carrie Bradshaw, a thirty-something woman who spent more than $40,000 on shoes on a columnist’s salary in the late ‘90s (roughly $76,000 in 2024).

To those who constantly speculate, Marylin Fitoussi, the costume designer on Emily in Paris, has more than a few choice words.

Honestly, what we can afford in our normal life, it's boring.

“Do you want to see hoodies from H&M and jeans from Gap? Of course we can afford that, but it's not the purpose of the show,” Fitoussi tells Elite Daily of the styles seen on Lily Collins’ EIP character, Emily Cooper. “Fashion is here to be fun.”

And, oh, how fun the fashion is on the show. You can find Emily mostly wearing stunning designer ‘fits from the likes of Balmain, Prada, Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Miu Miu, along with all sorts of vintage pieces.

The costume designer’s friendly advice to viewers: “Free your mind” instead of questioning whether a young marketing executive like Emily can actually afford such a luxe lifestyle.

You have Law & Order to see those kinds of outfits.

“Honestly, what we can afford in our normal life, it's boring,” says Fitoussi. “And I’m not doing 40 looks a season, playing with a T-shirt and a navy jacket. You have other shows for that. You have Law & Order to see those kinds of outfits. If you decide to be on Netflix and on Emily in Paris, you can expect to see whatever pleases your eyes.”

Though Fitoussi — who was nominated for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for her work on EIP at the 2023 Emmys — was tight-lipped about any fashion Easter eggs on Season 4 (“I won’t spoil anything”), she was more than happy to discuss Emily’s evolving aesthetics from the start of the series to today.

In Season 1, Emily was a fish out of water, which was reflected in her choice of clothes; they were cute but perceived as “ringarde” (French for “basic”), and didn’t stray too far from jacket-and-dress combos.

In Season 2, the vibe was giving “Listen to the French,” Fitoussi says with no elaboration. This was clearly emphasized in Emily’s “more is more” approach to fashion. Designers! Accessories! Prints! All the things.

In Season 3, Emily believed she understood the (couture) assignment, incorporating more up-and-coming French designers into her wardrobe.

Regarding the titular character’s style in Season 4, the costume designer had only two chilling words: “My revenge.”

Season 4, Part 1 of Emily in Paris is now available for streaming on Netflix.