🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

There are three things guaranteed to appear in Emily in Paris’ third season: Emily (Lily Collins) will make a French language faux pas, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) will prepare some dish that’s almost as enticing as he is and Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) will look immaculately chic in every single scene she graces. 

“Oh, no, no, I’m nothing,” says French actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu humbly when her Emily in Paris co-star Kate Walsh describes Sylvie as a fashion icon during Tudum’s interview at the luxe Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. 

Leroy-Beaulieu is being modest. For three seasons, she’s portrayed insanely well-dressed marketing executive Sylvie Grateau in the Darren Star comedy. “There’s so much creativity in the costume room — it’s a pleasure [to play Sylvie],” Leroy-Beaulieu tells Tudum. “We have a costume designer who’s a genius.” French designer Marylin Fitoussi heads up the costume department. She’s flying solo this season, having previously been supported by Star favorite Patricia Field, who acted as costume consultant. “We have racks of clothes and [Fitoussi] basically says, ‘What do you want to wear today?’” says Leroy-Beaulieu. While Fitoussi stops short of giving the cast carte blanche, she’s open to suggestions. “We choose ahead — otherwise, she’d go crazy — but if you change your mind at the last minute, she’s open.”

If only Sylvie had changed her mind about the Pierre Cadault (the show’s fictional haute couture designer) dress she wore to a fashion retrospective in Season 3’s second episode. In a classic bitch-stole-my-look showdown, Sylvie encounters her nemesis, the very American, not-so-chic Madeline (Walsh), in the exact same gown — albeit accessorized very differently. “She definitely wore it better,” says Walsh without hesitation. Adds Leroy-Beaulieu, “It was so much fun to have a confrontation between two totally different tastes, universes and cultures.”

That clash isn’t restricted to their style, though. Sylvie is now navigating the hurdles of starting her own business, having left Savoir and Madeline behind at the end of Season 2. “She knows it’s not easy, she’s aware of that,” says Leroy-Beaulieu. “Especially because [Madeline’s] in town, so I’m super scared that she’s going to steal all my clients.”

The main hiccup comes, however, when Sylvie and Madeline discover Emily has been lying to — and working for — both of them. “She’s betraying me and I’m super, super upset,” says Leroy-Beaulieu. “There’s that moment at the Eiffel Tower where I really felt it. I was like, ‘What the fuck?!’ ”

Despite being “really, really hurt” initially, Sylvie eventually comes around and forgives Emily, bringing her back into the fold at her new company, Agence Grateau. “I respect her,” says Leroy-Beaulieu. “I respect her talent — that I’ve recognized ever since the first season. I know that she has talent. But I’m still wary of her because you never know. We’ve been betrayed once. She can always betray again.”

Stéphanie Branchu/Netflix

From professional drama to personal drama, Sylvie also finds herself caught between two men this season — an Emily in Paris staple at this point. While she’s been dating Dutch photographer Erik (Søren Bregendal) since Season 2, Sylvie is still married to suave Saint-Tropez club owner Laurent (Arnaud Binard). When she reaches out to him for help with her new business, sparks reignite (if they were ever really extinguished). Before long, the ex-couple is frolicking in their underwear in a Provence lavender field. “Laurent is her rock,” says Leroy-Beaulieu. “Sylvie’s known him ever since she was probably a teenager or something. [But] she has her own life — she let go of a lot to become Sylvie in Paris coming from Saint-Tropez and being one of those girls in the south.” It’s not that Sylvie needs him, explains Leroy-Beaulieu, but some part of her is wrapped up in him and she doesn’t want to lose that. 

The Evolution of Emily and Sylvie’s Relationship in Emily in ParisAre they the very best of frenemies?

“He’s the one,” she says. “That’s why she never divorced him. She went on with her life, but she never divorced that person. Her identity is there.”

While Laurent is still based in the south of France for now, things look promising for the still-married couple. In the season finale, Laurent shows up in Paris, and as he and Sylvie tango on the banks of the Seine, Laurent tells his wife he plans to return to Paris and open an exclusive members club. Sylvie is initially delighted at the news, until Laurent mentions his potential investor is Louis de Léon (Pierre Deny) — a man Sylvie worked for early in her career, who’s heavily implied to have behaved inappropriately toward his young assistant. “Well, it’s totally my generation,” says Leroy-Beaulieu in regards to Sylvie’s potential #MeToo storyline. “It’s the kind of thing that happened so much when I was young that I’m not surprised. It’s like, ‘Of course it could’ve happened.’ We don’t know exactly how far it went, but she was obviously annoyed by the attitude.”

And that won’t be the only tension to explore when Season 4 comes along. In the Season 3 finale, one of Agence Grateau’s execs, Julien (Samuel Arnold), finds himself feeling so overlooked by his boss that he makes moves to potentially leave the company. So did Sylvie fail Julien? “Totally, totally, totally,” says Leroy-Beaulieu. “But she was overwhelmed by Emily’s energy. It’s not really her fault. It’s like, ‘Emily, shut up!’ ”

Emily in Paris Season 3 is available to stream now.