Camille Razat loves the unusual. She surprised this year amfAR in a red Avelleno dress which was a combination of futuristic sci-fi costume and fetish dress.
So what was it like wearing a long latex dress to the biggest party of the year? “Sweaty,” Razat jokes of the “Fifth Element”-inspired look. “But it’s definitely worth it.”
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The actress designed the outfit for the festival’s biggest night with editorial in mind. “It was totally my choice not to be so literally glamorous, with glitter and all, but to be more edgy.” She created her make-up of a burst red eyeshadow with L’Oréal make-up artists, since she is a brand ambassador.
She has been on the lookout for young designers with the aim of using her “Emily in Paris” fashion credentials to spotlight new talent. “Instagram is a great area, but there are also so many that it’s hard to get noticed. I want to give visibility, that’s my goal.
Razat also uses her “Emily in Paris” perch to do this, working with costume designers Patricia Field and Marilyn Fitossi to bring in new concepts and “really push forward,” she says. This results in some of the totally over-the-top looks the Netflix show has become known for.
The former model considers Kate Moss the northern star of her style. “She’s very chic and rock’n’roll, and that’s what I like.”
Razat was to study journalism before deciding to take a gap year and end up in an acting class. There was no turning back.
‘Emily in Paris’ propelled her to international fame, but her next project is a French horror film titled ‘Mastemah’, about a young psychiatrist haunted by a former patient who died in front of her. She’s the polar opposite of the seductive French girl character she plays in “Paris.”
“In France, it’s very different than in America. You get tricked very easily and very quickly. So I didn’t want to give people the opportunity to classify me so easily. So I’m like, ‘Okay, good luck. Want to rank me? You can not ! That’s why I did it,” she said, unable to contain her excitement.
The character is troubled and complex, she says; she prefers horror and sci-fi in her own queue. “I’m probably a nerd,” she jokes.
Stephane Feugère / WWD
Razat is a breath of fresh air with her unassuming honesty. She recognizes how creative designers need to be and is realistic about the business.
“I know how hard it is to be relevant,” she says. “Being a designer today with so many collections is crazy. They used to have maybe 12 dresses and today it’s 75 [per show]. It’s so much work, and I respect that. She wore Celine for the red carpet of this festival.
While journalism school was dropped, she still enjoys writing. For now, it’s music, although there are no plans to release anything soon, and in the future she would like to write and direct. She is starting her own production company and has sought advice from Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, president of the global brand L’Oréal.
“Five minutes into, I swear, she introduced me to people in what could have taken me a year to get in touch with those people. It’s crazy, it’s very encouraging,” she says of from L’Oreal.
But Razat says she likes to take on one task at a time, so those projects will happen after “Emily in Paris” ends. She’s also honest that the Paris of the show is a fantasy, especially when it comes to the combination of cobbled streets and shoes. “It’s ridiculous, I know. I am the lucky one. I was never going to wear heels – [my character] is a Parisian! But Lily [Collins], in fact she had to see a doctor every day for her feet. They were so bad. She was all bruised and plastered all over, even her back. But she is a professional and I admire her so much.
Seasons three and four have been greenlit and are highly anticipated. Razat reveals little, saying they are still writing it and she hasn’t even seen a page of the script. “But Darren [Star, the show’s producer] said [my character’s] the scenario will be even more chaotic.
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