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Emily, who?!
Ashley Park may have a wardrobe of awe-worthy looks as Mindy Chen—fashionista, aspiring singer, and heir to the Zipper King of China—on Netflix's Emily in Paris, but she also has killer style off-screen. With a fearlessly playful approach to her outfits and help from stylist to the stars Brad Groeski, Park has proven that she can make the boldest outfits, like draped chiffon gowns, metallic couture creations, and bubble skirt suit sets, look effortless thanks to her radiant confidence. She's brought her megawatt style to the front rows of fashion week, taking Milan and Paris by storm.
On Tuesday, Park joined forces with Danish jewelry company Pandora for an intimate dinner held at the haute Hotel Particulier to kick off Paris Fashion Week. Guests entered through a secluded passageway to a private area where they found respite in warm conversation and chilly beverages. Afterward, they sauntered upstairs, where a stunning candlelit table arrangement of pink velvet and mounds of flower petals set a romantic scene.
Park wore a Kevin Germanier violet blazer and mini-shorts combo, which was speckled with shiny mirrored paillettes. She accessorized to the nines in a stunning assortment of silver, pearl, and glistening Pandora jewelry. Parks's date for the evening was the ever-charismatic actor Paul Forman, her onscreen and real-life beau. He looked on with a sparkle in his eye as Park gave a toast to the personal and powerful impact of Pandora jewelry: "It was the first piece of investment jewelry my father ever gave me," she says.
InStyle spoke exclusively with Parks about what it's like to get ready for this stylish soiree.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Her Sense of Style
"I consider style to be such a reflection of who you are on the inside, or I'd hope it'd be, and I am still learning and figuring out who I am on the inside," Parks says. "I would hate to dilute who I am or my style sense to just a few words. I'm still figuring it out. I don't know if that's a cop out answer!"
"But I would really say that, because sometimes I think I have a certain fashion sense or I have a style when I'm traveling in a certain place, or doing a certain thing, I pack a different suitcase for a beach vacation, than to like the tundra, you know? But I think that I would hope that my style just reflects how I feel and what makes me feel the most confident in that moment."
Her Custom Outfit For the Evening
"Kevin Germanier uses all sustainable materials and what I love about what he has to say, is you know, saving the world shouldn't be a trend. That's something that I was so attracted to in what Pandora stands for as well—just to normalize using products and using recycled goods, or using upcycled materials," Parks says. "This is my favorite color, lavender, with little mirrors and designs all over it. It was actually funnily enough a men's suit before, and Kevin made it into these sweet little hot pants that he thought was more befitting to what I felt like I wanted to wear to celebrate this Pandora occasion in Paris!"
"I'm wearing Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, which I love as well—the silver to match with my silver Pandora jewelry. I will say Pandora's inspired me a lot to start mixing metals," Parks says. "I think that when things are elevated, and dainty, and telling the same kind of story, you don't have to confine it to what metal am I wearing [or] 'I have to do this.' It's about what you feel like wearing."
Her Pandora Jewelry
"I'm obsessed with the bows from the Pandora Holiday collection. The bows and the hearts. Paris is the City of Love, and it's the place that I fell in love with the person I'm with. Hearts have such a stigma sometimes, of being just like a symbol that everyone can use. But that's what I love so much about hearts, is exactly that, it's the universal symbol of love!"
Her Getting-Ready Playlist
"Old jazz standards. What's fun about it is that when we were listening to it, even doing hair and makeup, or in my room in New York, you hear Frank Sinatra, you hear Fitzgerald, you hear all these people, and you feel like, 'Oh my God, I've been nostalgic for America," she says, referencing how much travel she's done for Emily in Paris. "And then you hear these same kinds of like, 'La Vie en Rose,' and all these different things, all these jazz standards that are all the same playlists, but then when I hear it in Paris, I feel like I'm in Paris."
The Inspiration Behind Her Glam
"What I love is, this is my A-Team, and they do my hair, makeup on the show, and what I love so much we're just constantly cohesive, so like I don't want to put words in their mouth, but their inspiration is me! I don't think they're inspired by me, but they know me so well. Today, our hair was inspired by the scene in Rome where Mindy sang 'Ruins.'"
Parks continues, "We love being creative! I mean, it's why I love wearing Pandora's jewelry. You can stack it however you want, you can mix and match it however you want, you're kind of empowered in that way. And so, I don't think we like to stick by a rule book of like, 'This is the thing we're trying to go for.' It's kind of like, 'How do we make it cohesive and collaborate to make like the perfect look for this moment?' And they're inspired by me. Yeah!"
How She Winds Down After a Night Out
"Thee answer was different probably when I had to perform live on Broadway. But I pretty much just hit the pillow! I've been really good about not falling asleep as soon as I get home; I really try to brush my teeth, wash my face, put products on, take care of myself in every way, and drink a bunch of water so that I can wake up the next morning and feel refreshed to do work," she says. "Paul is next to me, holding on to me or giving me a hug that immediately puts me to sleep."