Lily Collins on her favourite things to see, do and eat in Paris

Emily may be in Paris, but she is certainly not of it. In fact, few people are less Parisian and more American than bubbly marketing maven Emily Cooper. After five seasons (and a truly inexplicable visa situation) she remains blissfully unaware of her loud, all-American gaucheness; wholly blind to her loud not-so Parisian chic designer ensembles. She is, and I say this in the gentlest way possible, the kind of American in Paris who smiles broadly and says things like "seel voo plat" and "krossaunt." No shade to Emily, of course. After all, we love her just as she is and wouldn't have it any other way!

But for Lily Collins, the woman who brings sweet, all-American Emily to life, all of this couldn't be further from the truth. While Emily may have remained a stranger to the real Paris, for Collins, the city seems to have seeped into her very bones.

In a very Emily in Paris-coded turn of events, I'm meeting Collins in London for the launch of her collaboration with Maison Perrier, inspired by the culture and way of life in the French capital – it all feels very Champère. Draped in a sheer black Jean Paul Gaultier gown and dripping in Cartier Jewellery with her famous sharp bob, Collins is the perfect picture of understated Parisian elegance.

"Paris is effortlessly chic," she says. "You don't need to try hard to say something bold and bright." It's this Parisian laid-back sophistication that drew her to the collaboration in the first place. "I think Maison Perrier does just that. There's something about Parisian and French culture that is just so built into the brand."

One hand, the city is filled with Instagrammable photo ops – the kind that Emily has undoubtedly tried for herself. "If you were to take a selfie as if you're holding the Eiffel Tower," she laughs, describing the city's most Instagrammable spot. "Holding anything – even the Louvre pyramid. I think Emily totally would!" And Emily in Paris has embraced plenty of the city's iconic locations. "Filming on the top of the Eiffel Tower was hard to beat," she says. "And Versailles – it was incredible to privatize the hall of mirrors. And obviously Opera Garnier."

But Collins' Paris is a little different to the one we see in the show. "I really do love Canal Saint-Martin," she says dreamily, describing the trendy 10th arrondissement neighbourhood filled with tree-lined river banks and chic bars and restaurants. "I don't think enough people really take the time to go there. It's filled with really interesting restaurants and coffee shops. There's a lot of life there."

Courtesy of the brand

It's in these quieter parts of Paris that Collins has found a sense of serenity despite leading one of Netflix's busiest, biggest shows. She paints a picture of herself strolling blissfully around the canals in the summer (a crisp can of Maison Perrier in hand, of course) and I imagine her blending in effortlessly with the locals.

"My favourite coffee is usually the one that my husband [filmmaker Charlie McDowell] makes me in the morning. For us, I really enjoy taking our coffee to go and just walking along the Seine." I wonder if he's also any good at whipping up omelettes à la Gabriel.

When McDowell isn't on hand, she's a big fan of Residence Kann. "It's very Scandinavian and French. The coffee is really great."

She also enjoys spending her downtime strolling through the peaceful parks and streets of Neuilly, a quiet residential neighbourhood northwest of the city centre. "I really love walking in the parks there," she says. "Sometimes you can find little bits of the park that aren't filled with tourists," she says. "The further you get out – near the Louis Vuitton Museum – there's this massive, massive park. Miles and miles. It's almost like a forest. We take our dog out there, and usually you're not really finding tourists out there."

Carole Bethuel/Netflix

"I'd never really seen those sides of Paris before," she adds. "Usually you're in like the hustle and bustle of the city – in the Marais and all those amazing areas. But sometimes the most quiet areas can be the most therapeutic in a beautiful city like Paris."

Living part-time in Paris has also fuelled a blossoming vintage addiction. Here, perhaps, is one thing she does share in common with her on-screen counterpart.

"I always go to the Clignancourt, first of all," she says, citing the iconic sprawling flea market in the 18th arrondissement. But her favourite spot for vintage finds is goodJo, a local consignment store in the 6th near the Luxembourg Gardens. "I lived right by her original store in season four, which was lethal." Collins fondly recalls developing something of a dependent relationship with the "sweetest lady" who runs the show. "She would post things and I'd be like, 'Save it for me!' It was next door to my apartment, so she let me take them home and try them on. It was just amazing."

In very Emily Cooper fashion, Collins soon had a habit of coming home with new vintage pieces to try on almost every day – "It became this running joke." A few of her finds even ended up on the show. "There are a couple things that I wear as Emily that actually were mine from her archives, which was amazing."

Netflix

But she's not immune to the charms of the more touristy sides of the city either. In fact, the first place she finds herself drawn to when she returns to Paris for a new season of the show is the Tuileries Gardens. "I love wandering through the gardens," she says. "I think once you see the Tuileries, you know you're there. Especially during the summer when there are little boats in the fountains and kids running around. It just gives you that Parisian summer feeling."

And, nearby, she always stops in L'Orangerie Museum – "with the massive walls filled with Monets. That's somewhere where I feel at peace. I have such a history with that museum – a love of that museum. "

Paris is, of course, the city of love. Lily Collins met her now-husband in 2019 the same year that filming began for Emily in Paris. And what better city to fall in love in?

She fondly recalls their early Paris dates on the now-banned public scooters. "I used to love taking the Bird scooters around," she says. "My husband and I would always scooter across the bridges to dinner. We'd go for miles across the city. For me, it was always that amazing ability to get around the city without taking a car or the subway. It's beautiful, of course, walking, but there was something so childlike and fun with scootering."

"And I just love the bridges at night – especially in the summer, when it gets darker later and you're just able to be out, soaking in the light."

I ask if she has a favourite bridge. "I think Pont Neuf is obviously so stunning, but the further you go down the Seine, some of those bridges are less populated and can be more private." But, she adds, with a true Parisian sense of romance, "I think it's who you're with versus the bridge."

Stephanie Branchu/Netflix

Collins and McDowell married in 2021 and welcomed their first child, daughter Tove, a year ago. Now, Collins is looking forward to experiencing Paris in a new phase of life – as a mother. First on her list for Tove? The Jardin d'Acclimatation.

"I never pronounce it right, but the amusement park that's in the park. It's called d'Acclimatation," she says, her pronunciation flawless, by the way. "It's a theme park that's magical for children in the Bois de Boulogne. I'm excited to take her there."

"And honestly, just the museums," she adds. "I love museums, and there's always such amazing activities for kids and I can't wait to take her."

Although Emily Cooper may spend a lot of her time galavanting around the more iconic sights of Paris, the city has, of course, become personal for her, too.

"I have to say that for me, the heart of the show is anywhere with Ashley [Park, who plays Emily's best friend Mindy]," Collins says. "Even if it's on the set in our apartment and we're laughing nonstop, that's where I probably have the most fun."

As for Emily's favourite spot in the city, Collins thinks it's "probably the park bench where Mindy and her first met – because there's so much memory for her there. It's a place in the city for her to just be calm. To just be utterly herself and with her best friend."

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