Netflix's 'Emily in Paris' Apparel Tie-In Is a High Fashion Promotion

By Brendan Menapace

After “Emily in Paris” became a hit on Netflix via MTV Entertainment Studios, the show’s producers and the network parent company wanted to find a way to celebrate the show through merchandise, touching on the fashion-forward nature of its Parisian setting and reflective of the characters’ own wardrobes.

They decided on an apparel line, created with multiple luxury brands and led by Mindy Lin Prugnaud of Mint Group, according to Forbes.

The release is set for Dec. 22 on a dedicated online store and on Saks.com, coinciding with the show’s second season, and the minds behind it are calling it “retailtainment,” or “shoppable content.”

Forbes writes:

While these elevated goods with luxury price points are new to ViacomCBS Consumer Products, it's not the first time the media group has worked with designer brands, according to Jose Castro, senior vice president, soft lines, fashion & lifestyle licensing and global collaborations, ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

And, according to L'Officiel, the online store will also include macarons made by a French pastry chef, designer earrings, necklaces, sunglasses and bags.

Dec 22nd ⁦@netflix⁩ 🥂 see you there! #emilyinparis #season2 pic.twitter.com/f7ojaGk5cO

— Ashley Park (@ashleyparklady) November 12, 2021

Think of this as buying sports teams jerseys, but instead of a football uniform it’s a stylish robe, jacket, hat, etc. You can see an episode of “Emily in Paris” and then wear that same look in real life.

It’s not totally unlike what video game companies are doing, creating partnerships with e-commerce sites and making in-game products like apparel and accessories available to buy.

But it’s also interesting to see how Viacom and its designer partners are using the high fashion aesthetic of the show to create matching apparel, going above and beyond the usual promotional apparel for TV shows, even as Netflix has made an effort to use designer pieces for its tie-in products.

Netflix has been on a merchandising roll lately. In addition to the "Emily in Paris" apparel collection, the streamer recently launched a "Stranger Things" pop-up store featuring an apparel customization area, a line of plush toys based on its unofficial mascot, an online store for customizable "Squid Game" apparel and more. This after launching its first-ever branded merchandise store in June.

Clearly, Netflix is all in on branded merchandise.