And show’s French costume designer tells how life mirrored art in creative clashes with US colleague

THE culture clash between the worlds of French and American style provides some of Emily In Paris’s richest entertainment.

And now the French designer behind its scene-stealing outfits has told how real life echoed the story lines when tensions built up between her and the show’s veteran US costume consultant.

In a brutally frank appraisal of her relationship with Patricia Field – that would no doubt impress tough marketing chief Sylvie – Marylin Fitoussi says: ‘I am the costume designer. She’s consulting, meaning that she approves or disapproves of the look. And when she doesn’t approve my look, we fight. It’s complicated – let’s put it that way. She validates looks and sometimes I forget to ask her opinion!’

Ms Fitoussi tells how she even wrote to organisers at the Costume Designers Guild Awards to ask why Ms Field, 80, famous for her work on Sex And The City, had been nominated alongside her in the Excellence In Contemporary Television Award category, which the women last month won jointly.

She adds wryly: ‘It is the mystery of fame and the US.’

In an exclusive interview with You magazine, she tells how she became more forceful with Ms Field and the executive producer Darren Star for the second series, particularly with Sylvie’s look. She says: ‘They have this American idea of the French elegance – a bodycon dress and high heels.

‘In the beginning I didn’t have the skills to say, “No, this is not the French way.” So for season two we decided to go with a few more extreme looks for Sylvie – like her red trouser suit.’