It’s an invitation we couldn’t refuse: a meeting with Marylin Fitoussi, the very colorful stylist of the hit series Emily in Paris. As she enters the suite on the tenth floor of the Montreal hotel where a group of journalists are waiting for her, her contagious energy fills the room. A Starbucks coffee in hand, dressed in a long furry coat wrapped around a brightly colored dress, not to mention her eternal black turban and blue pumps, the star of the day greets everyone warmly.
The creator of the extravagant outfits in the TV series — and some 50 other films and series — has been invited by the MAD (fashion, arts and entertainment) festival to share the secrets of her very personal stylistic touch. A meeting with the French artist is on the festival’s bill Wednesday night.
Newly arrived from Paris, Marylin Fitoussi admits that there is “a little bit of herself” in the outrageous costumes of the character of Emily, this young American hired by a French marketing firm to better target the company’s international clientele.
“I’m a maximalist. I love colors, I love prints, there’s never enough of them,” she says. “A plain T-shirt gives me anxiety attacks!”
The half-dozen journalists sitting around the table—obviously wearing plain T-shirts or shirts—feel singled out. And they apologize with a laugh. Especially the poor representative of the Dutywho gets a straight talk from the stylist: “I’m not very representative of the Parisian style, which is more like dressing like Marco, in the French national colours, navy, grey and black.”
She seems to be making lapidary judgments, but that is not the case: Marylin Fitoussi says everything she thinks in a gentle, unfiltered tone, as if it were self-evident. “I like people who make mistakes in taste. I find them touching, endearing and more bold [en citoyenne du monde qui a vécu et travaillé partout sur la planète, elle émaille ses phrases d’anglicismes]. »
Clothes make the man
Marylin Fitoussi says that in life as on screen, clothes are mirrors of the soul. “Clothing says a lot about who we are. When they say that clothes don’t make the man, name the person who said that!”
Clothes do make the man, she says. “When you dress differently, you think differently. It’s a message of freedom: free yourself! Do what you want. You are your own stylist. You are never as beautiful as when you feel good in your clothes.”
Her soul dictates that she reject conventions, that she “break the rules”, that she breaks out of the framework imposed by the dictates of fashion. “I don’t like fashion, I like clothes”, she repeats in each of her interviews.
She makes it a point to watch all the fashion shows held in all countries in order to know the colors and trends of the current year. “And to flee from them!”
Breaking the rules? In 2019, she delivered the costumes for the film Kaamelottwhich took place in the Middle Ages. “I think: what textiles or materials aren’t there in the Middle Ages? Sequins and fake fur. And I make an army of 100 people dressed in sequins and fake fur,” she says with a laugh.
In Emily in Paristhe designer broke all the codes of Parisian fashion by dressing the heroine like an American girl let loose in a candy store. The Parisian public and fashion magazines went wild “saying that it wasn’t fashion, that I was praising the ugly. I thought it was a very good compliment,” says Marylin Fitoussi.
A sought-after showcase
The stylist believes it is her duty to never be boring. Her goal is to bring a fictional character to life, not to create fashion trends. “You have to offer things so that no one gets bored. I want to have fun. You have to catch the eye of the people watching, it has to be lively, fun, so that people don’t want to switch to another series.”
Since the beginning ofEmily in Parisin any case, clothing brands have understood that the series broadcast on Netflix was a great showcase for their products. For the first season, in 2020, brands refused to lend their clothes to this obscure series. Now, Marylin Fitoussi allows herself to refuse offers.
“I feel more and more pressure from brands that don’t fit at all with what I do. I have a script to follow and I have to tell a story with clothes. It’s hard to say no, but I have to be in tune with myself.”
The stylist estimates that 50% of the costumes that appear in the series are loaned by established designers. The rest, she finds from young designers, thrift stores and even flash fashion chains (fast fashion).
The interview is coming to an end. The star of the day kisses everyone, chats, and asks about the latest news. Having fun, as always. We leave this hour of colorful discussion cheerful.