A little fun with fashion can make a gloomy mood vibrant and colourful. Just like it did with popular actress Lily Collins, who plays our very own Emily in Netflix’s hit series Emily in Paris.
Ahead of the beloved show’s new season, Collins opened up in an Aug. 6 interview with InStyle about how playing Emily Cooper allowed her to have fun and experiment with fashion and style.
She also revealed that fashion helped her distract herself from her turbulent relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Collins recalled how she would only wear light-coloured clothes when she met her ex-boyfriend and how she would stay away from anything that could be considered big, bold or showy. She described that time as her “dull phase”.
Collins’ boyfriend, whom she did not name, was reportedly very possessive and would not let her dress the way she wanted. He would tell her, “You can’t wear that, you can’t do that, you can’t say that.” She previously spoke openly about her ex-boyfriend in her 2017 book Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, where she wrote about how she tried to be “perfect for him.”
However, she realized that the more she kept quiet, the more isolated she felt from herself and the world. Furthermore, she revealed in her book that during the courtship, she became dependent on him and feared that if he left her, she would have nowhere to go in life.
Eventually, she ended the toxic relationship and began working with fashion legend Patricia Field, who was the consulting costume designer on the first and second seasons of Emily in Paris .
Regarding the stylish outfits in the show, Collins said she had sent feedback on many of the fashion choices for the show and felt she was simply providing guidance, not making specific requests. She was shocked to see the clothes she had selected for herself during the first fitting in Paris.
“Mixing patterns and prints, textures and styles in a way that was foreign to me,” she said. “I started to realize I didn’t have to be afraid of color anymore.”
Collins said her character Emily can adjust anywhere and go places, which is a great trait. However, even though her own fashion sense doesn’t always match Emily’s on the show, the costuming process for Emily in Paris taught her how to have fun with fashion in a natural way.
Meanwhile, season 4, part one of Emily in Paris will be available on Netflix on August 15. Seasons 1 to 3 are available to stream now.
Also read: Top 10 most eagerly awaited shows releasing in August; from Only Murders in the Building to Emily in Paris
