Bonjour, KC! Theatrical ‘Emily in Paris’ fashion show coming to the Kauffman Center
Many fans of “Emily in Paris” will admit one of the main reasons they watch the popular Netflix series starring Lily Collins is the clothing.
Emily, a young American from Chicago living and working in Paris, serves serious wardrobe eye candy. The show is pure fantasy for fashionistas.
Well, that fantasy is about to come to life.
“Couture on Tour: An Emily in Paris Experience” is coming to Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on May 28. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
It’s a live theatrical fashion experience that begins with a “cinematic journey into haute couture” and features a fashion show of designs inspired by Marylin Fitoussi, the show’s French costume designer who is also creative consultant for this tour.
The event recreates the ambiance of La Trompette Bleue (The Blue Trumpet), the fictional Paris club where Emily’s BFF, Mindy, performs.
Visitors can “dip into” Emily’s wardrobe, immerse themselves in scenes from the show and shop exclusive merch from on-site shops, according to a press release.
Oh how we hope there are cool cell phone cases. Have you seen Emily’s?
“The beauty and fashion of ‘Emily in Paris’ will make for a unique and whimsical in-person experience for fans,” Marie Marks, senior vice president of themed entertainment at Paramount, said in a statement.
The show’s creator, Darren Star, who also gave the world the iconic “Sex and the City,” considers the tour “an extension of the show’s appeal,” Variety writes.
“My journey in crafting ‘Emily in Paris’ was deeply inspired by my own adventures in Paris during my 20s,” Star said in a statement.
“As we celebrate the fourth season now streaming on Netflix and the exciting renewal for a fifth season, the profound connection fans have with the characters is what gives this series its enduring appeal.”
Fitoussi has created much of that appeal. Patricia Fields, the designer behind “Sex and the City” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” served as consultant on the first two seasons of “Emily in Paris,” and hired Fitoussi for her unique and “fearless” work, the French designer has said.
Emily’s evolving style has included bold colors — cartoonish, sniffed French fashion divas when the show debuted — sharply-tailored suits, head-to-toe prints, a purposeful avoidance of logos, elaborate hairdos and accessories and high, high heels.
Fitoussi mixes affordable pieces with high-end and couture styles.
When Emily traveled to Rome in Season 4, Fitoussi dressed her in playful polka dots because they called to mind champagne bubbles. She put a butterfly-shaped necklace around Emily’s neck to reference the “butterflies in your stomach” feeling of falling in love.
“Couture on Tour” will visit more than 25 U.S. cities this spring and summer, including Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta and Nashville.
This is the first major touring production from Santa Monica-based Atomic Venus Media, AVM, which specializes in creating live theater experiences designed around movies and TV shows.
“Bringing Darren Star’s incomparable writing and character development to life through a female-led production company is deeply meaningful,” Atomic Venus founder ElizBeth Jones, said in a statement.
“As he has proved time and time again, Fashion is Art and Art is for Everyone. This tour will captivate audiences in ways they haven’t seen before.”
The event will be perfect for Kauffman Center patrons, Paul Schofer, president and CEO of the Kauffman Center, said in a statement.
“The beauty and fashion of Emily in Paris will make for a unique and whimsical in-person experience for fans. We are thrilled to partner with Atomic Venus to bring the style of Paris to the streets of Kansas City.”
The Kansas City show takes place at 7:30 p.m. May 28 in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Tickets start at $40. A VIP package offers early access to curated specialty activations, tour stylists and a bespoke VIP gift bag crafted by Fitoussi.
For more information, visit tickets.kauffmancenter.org/emilyinparis.
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