Did You Catch the Kate Middleton Reference in Season 4 of Emily in Paris?
When it comes to pop culture moments, you just never know when a Kate Middleton reference might pop up.
In season 4 of Netflix’s Emily in Paris, which debuted the first half of its latest season on Aug. 15, there is a clear royal reference and nod to the Princess of Wales embedded in the first episode.
In it, the character Mindy (played by Ashley Park) is given an outfit designed by the fictional fashion house JVMA by her boyfriend, Nico, which Emily (played by Lily Collins) describes as “a little more Kate Middleton than you normally go” (a callout to Mindy’s normally bold style of dressing).
In the scene, Mindy is preparing to sit in the JVMA suite at the French Open with Nico (played by Paul Forman), and the pink coat dress Mindy wears very intentionally evokes Kate’s tennis aesthetic, on display annually at Wimbledon.
More specifically, Mindy’s pink look directly channels a green Balmain blazer Kate wore to Wimbledon in 2023, and Netflix confirmed that Mindy’s pink ensemble was Balmain, as well.
With its pastel hue, button detailing and white trim, it really is a sartorial callout to the Princess of Wales’ courtside style — and draws a little controversy on the show when it comes to Mindy and Nico’s relationship.
Nico gave Mindy the look not because everyone in JVMA’s French Open suite had to wear the label, but because his father (who owns JVMA) wanted Mindy to dress more conservatively.
Whether given with good intentions or not, as Emily puts it in regards to the vintage piece, “Couture is couture.” Later on, Mindy opts to sell the item on Vestiaire Collective, which helps pay for her Eurovision trip.
Emily in Paris has become synonymous with fashion, and 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.”
