As Mindy Chen on the fan-favorite, escapist Netflix series Emily in Paris, Ashley Park plays a boldly dressed American expat with an arsenal of one-liners and a song in her heart. In real life, the 33-year-old actress is, well, a boldly dressed California native with an arsenal of one-liners and a song in her heart. There are many parallels between Park and the role she has played for four years on the show, which has become a juggernaut for the streamer. In fact, sometimes it might be hard to determine where Park ends and Mindy begins.
For example, in the Emily in Paris universe, Mindy dates Nicolas de Léon, the scion of the faux-luxury conglomerate JVMA. In reality, Park actually dates Paul Forman, the actor who plays Nicolas in EIP. Mindy and Ashley even share a wardrobe and a jewelry box, with Park often bringing some of her most prized pieces on set to accessorize Mindy’s always-outrageous looks. Luckily, as a Pandora brand ambassador, Park is never without the accessories Mindy is known to pile on even her most casual ensembles. Below, Park talks her history with the jewelry brand known for their customizable charm bracelets, as well as the Mindy looks fans should watch out for in Emily in Paris season four.
What comes to mind when you think of Pandora?
I think of the first piece of jewelry I remember receiving. My dad gave my sister and me matching charm bracelets. Now, though, I wear Pandora every day as my go-to dainty, stackable jewelry. It feels elevated, but in a really accessible way.
You have a very distinct sense of style. How would you describe it?
I’m more into risk-taking when it comes to big moments, but my everyday style is comfort-chic. I love versatile outfits that feel comfortable all day, but then can be elevated in the evenings. At the moment, I love oversize, androgynous looks. So my boyfriend and I share a suitcase when we travel now.
What about when it comes to bigger events, like red carpets?
These days, when I’m choosing a look for an event, I think, “How do I own this outfit?” When I feel confident and comfortable on the inside, it’s obvious from the outside. So it just depends on what story or what part of my self-expression I’m trying to show off that day.
Is Mindy’s unique fashion sense similar to your personal style?
I’m definitely inspired by Mindy’s style, and she’s definitely inspired by my style. Mindy marches to the beat of her own fashion drum, and I tend to do that too. We’ve seen her fashion evolve throughout the seasons as she’s become more empowered and sure about herself, and that’s definitely mirrored in my own fashion journey. When it comes to Mindy, every outfit is an art piece, so I work with the hair, makeup, and costume teams to determine how to breathe as much life and freshness as possible into every look. Oftentimes, that’s with jewelry. You’ll never see Mindy wearing just one ear cuff—she loves to layer it on. And actually, she wears a lot of my own Pandora pieces this season.
How much of a say do you have in Mindy’s wardrobe?
A lot. We all collaborate on the looks and we all love the character so much. [Emily in Paris’s costume designer Marylin Fitoussi] is really good about letting me be inspired when we have fittings. We will go through the racks of clothes and, sometimes, as soon as we pull out an outfit, we’re like, “This is so Mindy.” We might not know where we’re going to put it, but we know it has to go somewhere. The saddest thing, though, is when we get to the last episode, and we’re like, “We didn’t get to wear that outfit!” because it never fit into the right moment. That happens every season.
Do you have a favorite outfit from this season?
My opinion on a favorite outfit from the show tends to change when I’m not wearing it and I can actually look at it [laughs]. But there are a couple that pop out to me. There is one I wear in the season’s second drop, when we go to Rome. There’s a storytelling aspect to Mindy’s style, and we were very thoughtful about this dress and where it should go in the season. It’s placed perfectly, storytelling-wise. We played a lot with structure and textures this season. There’s also this blue floral [Magda Butrym] one-piece that I wear with a furry blue hat. We were like, “Oh my gosh, who would ever wear this?” And the answer was, “Well, obviously Mindy.”
Do you ever get to bring things home from set?
Not really. Once I wear a latex outfit for two days of filming, I don’t need to have that in my wardrobe. But I do incorporate my own pieces into Mindy’s wardrobe. There are a couple of special pieces of jewelry that either Lily [Collins] gave me as a wrap gift or my boyfriend, Paul Forman, gifted me that I’ll work into the costumes.
What is the best fashion advice you ever received?
I don’t know if it’s quite advice or something I just figured out. But a big thing I’m always asking is: can I use the bathroom in this? It’s just common sense. Whenever my friends ask, “Should I wear this?” I’m like, “Are you going to be comfortable? And are you going to be able to use the bathroom?”