Our first glimpse of Camille Razat in Emily In Paris Season 2 comes five minutes into Episode 1, and it’s her outfit that immediately commands attention. A statement Balmain jacket, high-waisted Patou trousers and larger than life Zeus + Dione sunglasses provide a welcome – and achingly chic – reprieve from the saccharine pink smorgasbord of Emily Cooper’s ensembles. ‘It was one of my favourite looks,’ says Camille, ‘so fresh, young, and powerful.’
The visual contrast between Emily and Camille is no doubt deliberate. The show’s costume consultant Patricia Field is an expert in sartorially defining female leads, a skill honed during her six-year stint as costume designer on Sex and the City. Having modelled since she was 16, for brands such as Celine and Cartier, Camille, now 27, brings over a decade of fashion experience to the table. ‘What I love most is that I am allowed to introduce new designers to the team and shine a light on them too.’ In Season 2 Camille spotlights rising French designer and friend Alphonse Maîtrepierre, a former assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier – ‘he’s a genius,’ she says – as well as Coperni and Patou – ‘I love Patou’.
When it comes to beauty, Camille’s on-screen looks are modelled, perhaps predictably, on the French girl aesthetic of effortless waves and minimal make-up. ‘That’s the biggest misconception though,’ laughs Camille, ‘a lot of the time French women do put time and effort into their hair, make-up and fitness, they just don’t talk about it as loudly as British or American women.’ She insists French girl beauty is a very personal thing and that for her it’s about using just a few high-quality products in exactly the right way.
‘I’m a real fan of L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renew Midnight Serum. I massage it into my skin with a gua sha tool, which I find helps to lift and de-puff.’ And make-up? ‘I love L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Balm Noir Mascara Brown, which makes my eyes look bigger and sexier. If I have an event in the evening and don’t have time to change, I layer it up to make myself look edgier, a little rock’n’roll.’ And finally, her four non-negotiables are the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Wonder Water, Byredo’s Mojave Ghost fragrance and Augustinus Bader’s The Body Cream.
In October 2021 Camille walked the runway for L’Oréal Paris in their annual Le Défilé show during Paris Fashion Week at the Parvis des Droits de l’Homme. A global ambassador for a brand synonymous with self-worth, Camille is frank about her own. ‘Some days are better than others,’ she says, ‘but it’s is about taking things one day at a time and working your ass off, growing in self-confidence and trying to be the best version of yourself.’ Her show, Emily In Paris, champions a similar sentiment. ‘I like how the show makes clear that nobody is perfect, that everybody makes mistakes and the important thing is trying to fix them.’
Camille and Emily Cooper might be rivals in a love triangle on-screen but, off it, she and Lily Collins ‘hit it off instantly’, she says. Filming for the new season reunited Camille, Lily and Ashley Park – who plays nanny-turned-singer Mindy Chen – in the South of France. ‘We hadn’t seen each other for a year and a half because of the pandemic,’ explains Camille. ‘We were so happy to be back shooting together.’ In a break from the romcom series rule book, the dynamics of female friendship take centre stage in Emily In Paris. ‘Friendship is not meant to be perfect,’ stresses Camille, ‘it demands work and resilience. That’s what the show’s all about.’ Fallibility, c’est chic.