Lily Collins Finally Addresses 'Emily In Paris' Designer Wardrobe Controversy
'Lily Collins has had quite the year,' might be the biggest understatement in Hollywood. From starring in the hit Netflix series Emily In Paris to marrying her longtime partner Charlie McDowell, the last 12 months have been a whirlwind for the British-American star. And it seems like this is only the beginning for the actor.
Next month, the new ELLE UK cover star will return to the screen to appear as marketing executive Emily Cooper in Emily In Paris season two. Starring opposite her co-stars Ashley Park (Mindy), William Abadie (Antoine), Bruno Gouery (Luc), and Camille Razat (Camille), fans are waiting with bated breath to see all fo the the Patricia Field-styled looks Emily will rock in locations such as Paris and St Tropez.
Following the release of the first season, which was seen in 58 million households worldwide in the month after its debut, the series was surrounded by fashion-focussed controversy, with many viewers questioning just how realistic Emily’s wardrobe is given her age (22) and relatively junior position in the marketing firm, Savoir.
From an Alice + Olivia blouse and Ronny Kobo miniskirt, to a Veronica Beard blazer and Marc Jacobs’s Jelly Snapshot Camera Bag, it’s safe to stay Emily’s Sex and the City-esque wardrobe is as much admirable as it is unattainable for us mere muggles.
‘I think I would’ve kept all of Emily’s wardrobe,’ Collins tells us during a game of ‘It’s A Mood’.
Addressing her character’s pricey wardrobe, Collins says: ‘Emily makes money, but I also think we got to play around with clothes in a way that you just have to believe it’s fashion and a show and it’s fun.
‘One of the bonuses in the way we’ve filmed season two is the way we’ve incorporated vintage in there. We’ve reused some key items in really interesting ways so that you are reminded that she’s a young woman that loves certain pieces of clothing and can’t just go out and spend money all the time.
‘We’ve mixed in new designers, streetwear, high street as well as higher end. It’s really fun to see how we can mix high and low, vintage and new, and make it relatable yet still have that wish fulfilment.’
Far away from her Netflix character’s 5th arrondissement Parisian apartment, in September the actor married director McDowell in a private wedding ceremony in Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado, which Collins says reflected her wish for a ‘Western Americana meets British Victorian feel’.
Discussing her Ralph Lauren vintage-inspired lace wedding dress and cape, the 32-year-old notes: ‘The location really helped dictate that feeling and being outside in nature – the juxtaposition of those colours and the trees with this kind of whimsical lace element and the white hood which felt a bit like a fairy tale, but at the same time very grounded in nature and one with the earth.'
Looking back at photos of herself in London wearing a 'full on Brit' look (think low-rise jeans, a flat cap and a Union Jack-printed jumper), the star says that her childhood sartorial choices were heavily influenced by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
'Back in the day I loved the Olsen twins,' she admits. 'And I think there were many movies in which they had hats on, and jean-on-jean-on-jean that I was mimicking.'
When it comes to her own style, which has seen her wear the likes of Valentino and Marchesa on the red carpet, Collins thinks it’s ‘constantly evolving’.
‘I’m less afraid to try new things now and I’m more embracing of whatever it is that I am and not let fashion dictate it. If I don’t feel comfortable in something, I just don’t want to wear it anymore because it feels forced and then I think it looks forced.’
Discussing a Sant Laurent gold dress she wore to the Vanity Fair party in 2016, the star mentions her rib tattoo of a fairy blowing dandelions sitting atop a crescent moon.
‘[The] tattoo on my side says “true delicacy is not a fragile thing". People sometimes think I’m maybe fragile, even though I’m really really strong and resilient. So for me that was a bit of a reminder,’ she revealed.
Watch Lily Collins play 'It’s A Mood' with ELLE UK in the video at the top of this article.
Emily In Paris season two will stream on Netflix from December 22, 2021.
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