Emily in Paris reclaimed its spot as one of Netflix’s “Top TV Shows” with the debut of the first part of its fourth season this past August. This time, the bold fashion of Emily, Mindy, and Sylvie and other characters were accompanied by a more serious plotline about the dark side of the beauty and fashion industry.
At the heart of the storyline is one of Emily in Paris‘ most admired characters, Sylvie Grateau. At the beginning of this season, Sylvie is rekindling her relationship with her sexy French husband, Laurant. While the two were never officially divorced, they lived separate yet amicable lives: Sylvie, a sophisticated marketing executive in Paris, and Laurant, a charming nightclub owner in Saint Tropez.
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Their relationship ventured into uncharted territory, as Laurant was in Sylvie’s city for his latest project: Laurant G Paris, a Yacht Club-esque Parisian club. He revealed his investor to be Louis De Léon, the JVMA Mogul – a fictional luxury goods company that resembles LVMH – but more importantly, Léon is Sylvie’s former boss. Viewers are reminded of a subdued and not-so-innocent scene from Season 3 featuring Sylvie and Léon.
In Season 3, Episode 8, “Fashion Victim,” Léon looks Sylvie up and down and says “Hmph, I remember when you were just an assistant… and you’re just as feisty and beautiful now as you were then. I’m happy to see you haven’t changed.” Sylvie responds, “I remember you when I was just an assistant too. I remember everything… and I certainly hope you have changed” As she says this, Léon’s smirk disappears and he looks away. He agrees to help Sylvie with a business dilemma involving his son, Nicolas, with the contingency that moving forward, Sylvie will only remember him as “a respectful man.”
Returning back to the present day in Season 4, viewers see Sylvie put her feelings and personal connection with Léon aside for Laurant. Maybe it’s because she knows how passionate Laurant is about his club, and she doesn’t want to be the reason Laurant would ultimately forgo Léon’s investment. Or, maybe it’s because she isn’t ready to share what happened during her time working at JVMA yet. Enter Noël Regnier, a Journalist from Le Monde who approaches Sylvie for her piece on Léon’s “complicated history with female subordinates.” Sylvie faces a lose-lose situation: She can (potentially) lose her husband and his club, or she can (most definitely) lose her power, voice, and influence on exposing sexual harassment within the workplace and french fashion industry.
Another favorite of Emily in Paris, Mindy Chen, is also an integral part of this subplot. Mindy isn’t only known for her up-and-coming singing career and duty as Emily’s best friend, but she’s also a symbol for unabashed femininity. Her continuing romance with Nicolas, paired with a fight about Léon covertly slut-shaming Mindy, places her in perhaps the most alluring yet dangerous place in all of the show: The JVMA Brand closet.
While shopping in the closet, Mindy is greeted by two women and they caution her about the dangers of being a woman alone at JVMA. Mindy later confides to Emily what she learned: The JVMA closet is a place synonymous with Léon’s abuse of power and quid pro quo sexual harassment of younger, female JVMA employees.
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Emily tells Sylvie that Léon is still a P.O.S. Despite Léon’s veiled threats, Laurant’s Yacht Club, and her former mindset of French femininity (compared to American femininity) and “a different time,” Sylvie ultimately agrees to work with Regnier, and she is quoted throughout the story. While her decision is bound to hurt some personal relationships and cast a newfound vulnerability, Sylvie joins the #MeToo movement, and reclaims her power. Sometimes, the right decision is not always the easiest decision to be made. In an interview with Today, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu expressed her hope that Sylvie’s can serve as a reminder to all women, no matter where they’re from or what profession you pursue, to speak up if they’ve ever been in a situation similar to Sylvie. “Remember there’s a moment where you have to talk,” she said.
Aside from Emily in Paris, representation of sexual misconduct in the fashion realm is sparse. The iconic rom-com Sex and The City, also created by Emily in Paris executive producer Darren Star, briefly touched on this subject in its fifth season when a Vogue editor exposed himself to lead character Carrie Bradshaw in a fashion closet, a moment she kept to herself. Carrie’s decision to not talk about her closet incident was the complete opposite of what Sylvie’s and Emily in Paris are proposing.
This lack of representation can make us wonder if the fashion industry tends to steer away from ugly issues that may harness a force powerful enough to change its alluring reputation. Law firm Boucher LLP reported that the #MeToo movement was less impactful in the fashion industry compared to Hollywood because of the “glass runway” where a majority of authoritative roles are occupied by men, which promotes an environment where sexual abuse is more concealed. misconduct is especially prevalent with regards to garment factory workers and models. According to a report by Model Alliance in 2012, “87% of models claimed to take off their clothes without warning, 30% encountered inappropriate behavior, and 28% were propositioned for sex, all while on the job.” Often, victims’ young age, sex, and entry-level status create a dangerous environment rife for exploitation.
So far, Emily in Paris’ attempt to talk about important issues like the #MeToo movement has been applauded, though there has been some controversy about how well it was executed. Many proponents of this story arc argue that the storyline illuminates the #MeToo movement to a younger audience. Before we know it, Gen Z will become the biggest population of the workforce, and as a major consumer of Emily in Paris, awareness in this matter could lead to a safer workplace. Fans on Reddit also call Mindy and Sylvie “icons for speaking out against sexism and abuse” in an unapologetic manner. The way this subplot unfolds also counteracts the victim stereotype that often — and unfortunately — accompanies survivors speaking up. The biggest difference one can see is how discreet this plot was, compared to the theatrical aesthetic that Emily in Paris is known for.
Critics of this arc, however, argue that the show’s overarching heroine Emily Cooper turns this cinematic opportunity into a “glossed-over” fail. Viewers on Reddit were not happy with the underwhelming dinner scene where Mindy aired JVMA’s dirty laundry, stating, “wtf?? That’s a huge deal and I wouldn’t just sweep under the rug.”
Despite the important storyline, Emily in Paris’ cast also acknowledges that the show isn’t trying to be the spokesperson for sexual harassment in the fashion industry.”I don’t pretend to be the character that’s going to inspire anyone to do this, the people already doing it,” Leroy-Beaulieu told Today. “I just think, you know, it’s important to remind people that, yeah, we don’t have to take these things.” Despite the glitz and glam of the fashion industry, Sylvie is a reminder that that doesn’t make it foolproof of gender inequality and sexual harassment—and by no means does it warrant a silent acceptance of such issues.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, free and confidential help is available. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
