As millions of fans tuned into the latest instalment of Netflix smash hit Emily in Paris, which dropped on streaming platform last week - one notable name drop in the very first episode sent royal fashion lovers into a frenzy.
In the season 4 premiere, which first dropped on August 15, the iconic show made reference to the Kate, the Princess of Wales and even paid homage to one of her most famous looks from recent years.
In the episode, the character Mindy (played by Ashley Park) is given an outfit designed by the fictional fashion house JVMA owned by her boyfriend, Nico’s family and when modelling the outfit, the show’s titular character Emily (played by Lily Collins) notes that it is “a little more Kate Middleton than you normally go” in a reference to her pal’s usually flamboyant style.
Yet as well as namedropping the Princess, the show also channelled her 2023 Wimbledon look, in a more subtle nod to the sartorial power of the popular royal.
Mindy’s outfit was an interesting play on Kate’s look, as it consisted of a figure hugging pink coat dress by fashion house Balmain, with bold white edging and statement gold buttons.
This appeared to have taken direct inspiration from Kate’s green Balmain blazer, which she debuted at Wimbledon back in 2023. Much like Mindy’s outfit, Kate’s blazer featured bold white edging around the neck (in Kate’s case this was thanks to oversized lapels) and large statement buttons.
Ever since Emily in Paris first hit our screens back in 2020, the show has become a visual ode to all things fashion, so it may come as no surprise that a royal style icon such as Kate Middleton was a clear source of inspiration for Mindy’s outfit.
Reflecting on the specific meaning behind the ensemble, the show’s costume designer Marylin Fitoussi told Fashionista that, when it came to choosing outfits like Mindy’s pink Balmain, “I try to understand why this series was so successful,” she said.
“What does it mean for our society and for the young audience who’s copying the look and who throws parties where everybody’s dressed like Emily in Paris? I think it’s because it was a manifesto of freedom, saying to people, ‘Be confident if you like to mix everything with everything. Allow yourself to think out of the box and be different and have your own vision — and a little bit of bad taste.’ It’s like spice in the cooking. It’s healthy, it’s hearty, it’s good.”
Describing the looks as a “fantasy” she went on to express why exactly audiences had fallen head over heels for the show, adding: It’s colourful. It’s couture. It’s heels. It’s hair and makeup. It’s sophistication. It’s glam.”
And speaking of fashion, Princess Kate is certainly no stranger to setting tends either, with the stylish royal frequently shaping the style agenda with her immaculate looks. In fact, many of her fashion choices have proved so popular in the past, items regularly sell out within a matter of hours after being spotted being worn by her.
Yet her love of all things fashion also dates back to long before she married into the royal family, with Kate even having once participated in a charity fashion show while still studying in St.Andrews alongside her future husband Prince William.
Even more endearingly, the fashion show was also one of the first times William realised he was falling for Kate, and boldly declared to his friend Fergus Boyd "Wow, Fergus, Kate's hot!” as she walked down the catwalk in a sheer dress.
Another friend of his, Pat Duncan, spoke to E! News about the occasion in 2011, the year William and Kate finally tied the knot at Westminster Abbey.
They recalled: "She was in a very daring dress, in a sheer, stocking-like dress. He was sitting front row and his eyes were like stalks."
