Emily in Paris director Andrew Fleming is very mindful about fashion when it comes to filming.
Fleming, 61, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about shooting the show’s over-the-top style on Wednesday, August 14.
“Certain hats are impossible,” he told Us, noting he “loved” how Emily’s (Lily Collins) massive brimmed hat — which she wears during a masquerade ball in episode 3 of season 4 — looked on camera.
“It’s a reveal,” Fleming explained to Us. “It’s the first time we’re seeing a big outfit, like an important outfit.”
He continued, “And then you see Lily on the stairs, she’s walking up and I wanted her to tilt her head up so that the brim revealed her face. Then we cut wide and see the whole outfit finally. So there’s actually kind of this sense of anticipation to see the outfit because it matters.”
In order to build up anticipation to see Emily’s final outfit, Fleming filmed two prior shots: “One where she’s out in the street talking to Gabrielle, she’s wearing the cloak, and so you don’t see the outfit. The next shot is her entering, but it’s from behind. You don’t see the outfit, but you see the hat.”
In the episode, Emily paired her wide-rimmed hat with a black-and-white striped mock-neck catsuit with attached gloves and a ballgown skirt. In true masquerade fashion, she completed her look with a glittery mask.
Throughout the show’s first three seasons, many fans wondered how Emily, who’s a marketing executive, was able to afford such a lavish wardrobe consisting of vibrant outfits, designer bags, feathered ensembles and more. Fleming, however, validated her closet by telling Us, “She’s a young woman with disposable income.”
“[Emily] doesn’t have any children,” he added. “She doesn’t have a big mortgage; she doesn’t have a car. She spends her money on clothes. It’s a passion.” Fleming also told Us that “it’s part of her mindset to be creative with what she wears.”
Fans can watch Emily in Paris season 4 on Netflix.
With reporting by Yana Grebenyuk
