Since its arrival on Netflix, Emily in Paris is no longer just a feel-good series to watch to take your mind off things. It has become a true fashion phenomenon. Each season, Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, arrives on screen with an increasingly daring wardrobe: bright colors, unlikely combinations, eye-catching accessories… and it works.
People comment on her looks on social media, sometimes they criticize them, but they never ignore them.
In this setting, fashion isn't just a backdrop. It's part of the plot. We follow the romantic twists and turns, of course, but we also follow the outfits, the coats, the handbags that mark the different stages of Emily's life in Paris. It's precisely this visual dimension, almost a "permanent fashion show," that Assouline has chosen to highlight with a book entirely dedicated to the fashion trends ofEmily in Paris.
Assouline, the publisher that makes books like luxury items
Even before opening the book, you know what to expect: at Assouline, each book resembles an object you want to leave lying around on a coffee table, to leaf through, to show off, to collect. The publishing house has made a specialty of these large illustrated volumes, halfway between an art book and a photo album, devoted to fashion, iconic destinations, luxury brands, or cult TV series.
With Emily in Paris, Assouline tackles a highly codified world: that of the unapologetic Parisian cliché, revisited with a pop twist. The concept is simple yet effective: to gather in one book the striking silhouettes of Emily, her colleagues, and her friends, to comment on style choices, explain inspirations, and give the reader the impression of going behind the scenes of the series' wardrobe.
This isn't just a book for hardcore fans. It's also an object that speaks to anyone who loves fashion, powerful imagery, and stories told through clothing.
A book like a stroll through Emily's dressing room
The book dedicated to the fashion trends ofEmily in Paris is a bit like browsing through a stylist's mind: you jump from one look to another, from one detail to another, revisiting scenes, episodes, and filming locations. The pages don't just string together photos; they tell the story of how the series uses fashion to build its characters.
The book features Emily's outfits, of course, but also those of characters like Sylvie, Mindy, and Camille, each embodying a different facet of Parisian style (or what Americans consider "Parisian style"). The contrast between these styles is one of the book's strengths: the further you read, the more you understand that the series functions as a patchwork of fashion visions, ranging from pure fantasy to minimalist elegance.
Colorful silhouettes
The first striking thing about these pages is the abundance of color. Emily isn't afraid to wear fuchsia pink, apple green, and lemon yellow, often in the same outfit. What the book clearly demonstrates is that this exuberance is a deliberate narrative choice: her colorful looks symbolize her energy, her optimism, and also her status as an outsider who doesn't want to blend in.
In real life, not everyone will feel comfortable going out in a multicolored plaid coat and an improbable hat. But this abundance of prints and bright colors gives the reader ideas for injecting a little more fun into their style: a statement piece, a very colorful bag, an original coat worn over a more neutral base… The book then serves as a giant mood board to dare to break free from the all-black that sometimes dominates the streets of Paris.
Statement accessories and details that change everything
If you remove the accessories, half of Emily's looks lose their magic. The Assouline book emphasizes this point: handbags, shoes, jewelry, hats, and even belts are not details, but characters in their own right. They are what provide the finishing touch, transforming a simple dress into a memorable silhouette.
We see micro-bags, rhinestone-encrusted clutches, sculptural heels, but also berets, scarves, gloves… All these elements contribute to the series' visual signature. For a reader, it's an opportunity to understand that you can completely revamp your style without changing your entire wardrobe: sometimes, a single well-chosen accessory is enough to create the “Emily look.”
Mixing of materials and prints
Another constant highlighted in the book is the mixing of colors. Mixing checks with flowers, tweed with vinyl, silk with leather… The series enjoys breaking the rules, and the book dissects this way of assembling what, on paper, should not go together.
The beauty of it is that the pages offer enough perspective to show why it works: colors complement each other, one material echoes another, a motif is repeated more subtly in an accessory. For fans who want to find inspiration without resorting to dressing up, this analytical approach is invaluable: it provides guidelines for daring to mix and match, but with a certain coherence.
Emily in Paris, season 5: a new wave of looks expected
Season 5, set to premiere on Netflix on December 18th, is already highly anticipated, and not just for the romantic twists. Fans are almost as eager to discover the new storylines as they are to see the new outfits. We now know that each season brings its share of experimentation: new brands, nods to haute couture, even bolder silhouettes… Emily's wardrobe evolves alongside her personal journey.
Assouline's book is therefore perfectly timed: it arrives when the public already has sufficient perspective on the evolution of the series' style, while still eagerly anticipating what will happen next. It provides a foundation, a "before," which allows for a better appreciation of the "after" of season 5. Readers can compare, see what changes, and identify the continuities and subtle stylistic shifts that reveal where Emily is in her Parisian life.
A heroine who fully embraces her eccentricity
As the seasons progress, Emily gains confidence, and this is reflected in her outfits. Where, at first, her style might have seemed "too much" to the French characters, we sense that, little by little, she allows herself to be even more daring. What the book highlights so well is this progression: the moment when eccentricity is no longer an accident, but a signature.
This evolution is interesting because it resonates with everyone: we all go through a phase where we're hesitant to step outside our comfort zone when it comes to clothing. Seeing a character fully embrace their choices, even if it doesn't please everyone, can inspire us to take a small step towards expressing more personality in our own style.
Paris, a dream setting reinvented by the dressing room
The Paris ofEmily in Paris is not the Paris of everyday life, but the Paris of postcards. Yet, the book clearly shows that real places—bridges, cafés, streets, offices—are as if "recolored" by Emily's outfits. A simple stroll through the Marais or along the quays becomes a visual spectacle as soon as you add a plaid coat, a red beret, and patent leather boots.
Assouline captures this very particular dimension: it's not just a book about fashion, it's a book about how clothes transform the perception of a city. Paris becomes more pop, more joyful, sometimes almost unreal. We're far from the beige trench coat and raw denim; here, Parisian chic is revisited, exaggerated, but embraced, like a kind of joyful fantasy that the book unabashedly claims as its own.
A book that provides keys to finding inspiration in everyday life
Even if not everyone lives in a Netflix series, the book is designed as a practical source of inspiration. You don't have to copy Emily from head to toe to benefit from her ideas. On the contrary: the point is to pick and choose, adapt, and translate her gentle madness into language that resonates with your own everyday life.
Dare to use color, but in your own way.
The first lesson to be learned from this visual journey: color changes everything. The book encourages us not to limit ourselves to a black/gray/navy wardrobe, but to gradually introduce brighter touches. A coat, a bag, a pair of shoes, or even just a scarf: each image offers ideas for small gateways to more vibrant looks.
For someone who doesn't dare, the book becomes almost a silent tutorial: you observe the combinations, you identify what might work with your own pieces, you start with a single touch of color, then two, and you discover that it works.
Accessories as a playground
Another indirect piece of advice the book offers: if you don't have the budget (or the desire) to focus entirely on clothing, you can do a lot with accessories. This is often where Emily's signature style shines through: an unexpected belt, a striking graphic bag, a slightly oversized necklace.
The pages demonstrate how these details can transform even the simplest outfit. For the reader, this is good news: you don't need an extensive wardrobe to have fun. A basic wardrobe, a few well-chosen accessories, and you can create looks inspired by the series without looking like you've stepped out of a costume.
Adapting Emily's style to her own lifestyle
Finally, the book implicitly reminds us that it's all a matter of degree. Emily works in communications, moves in creative environments, and lives in a city where eccentricity is relatively well-received. Not everyone is in that situation.
The photos and descriptions therefore also offer avenues for "translation" into other universes:
- softening certain looks for a more corporate office atmosphere
- keep only one strong element for an evening.
- or simply allow yourself a "100% Emily" outfit for a special occasion.
The idea is not to become a carbon copy of the character, but to borrow a little of his freedom, his joy and his lack of hang-ups.
An item for fans, but also for fashion enthusiasts
One might think this book is only for die-hard fans of the series. In reality, it appeals to a much wider audience. For fashion enthusiasts, it functions as an illustrated trend book: it showcases the influences of major fashion houses, emerging designers, street style, and also pop culture codes.
For professionals (stylists, costume designers, content creators, social media managers), this is a textbook example of how to build a coherent visual universe around a character. How do you create an instantly recognizable silhouette? How do you use fashion to tell a story without uttering a word? How do you create a dialogue between a city, a heroine, and a wardrobe? The book provides answers to all these questions, image by image.
And for those who simply love beautiful books: it's an object to browse for pleasure, to leave on a table, to bring out before the release of a new season or during an evening with fans of the series.
A journey to the heart of fashion, Paris… and fiction
Ultimately, this Assouline book dedicated toEmily in Paris tells a story that goes far beyond dresses and bags. It explores how we use clothing to reinvent ourselves in a new city, a certain idealized vision of Paris, and how fiction influences reality, including our wardrobes.
With season 5 approaching, this book stands out as a kind of visual guide to rediscover the world of the series: it features iconic looks, bold moves, excesses, but also a real reflection on style, attitude and self-affirmation.
We turn the pages a bit like we would watch a new season: letting ourselves be surprised, commenting on the outfits, sometimes saying to ourselves "I would never wear that" and, a minute later, finding ourselves looking in our wardrobe for how to reproduce, in our own way, that little touch of madness that makes Emily in Paris so charming.
