Where did you create Solitano?
It’s in Ostia, which is part of Rome. It’s near the seaside. We wanted to evoke a Tuscany feeling there. Solemeo is actually in Umbria, but it’s the same idea of this small village where the company is based and the family lives. I want to capture that feeling, which is a little magical.
Have any of the locations featured on Emily In Paris ever been overrun by influencers like Solitano is on the show?
Unfortunately, I feel like it’s happened to a couple locations in Paris. Like at one of my favorite spots, Café de Flore, where I’m suddenly waiting in line along with everyone else. People have said, “This is because of because of Emily In Paris.” It can cut both ways. Some people may want the attention. But I’m not sure the locals are thrilled about it.
Was it challenging to shoot the finale episode in Venice?
We had such a crack squad in terms of producers in Italy to navigate everything. I said, “I’d love to film in Venice. I know people have filmed there before. But, logistically, it seems really tough,” and luckily we had an Italian producer who actually lives in Venice. We did it. There were camera boats and you are navigating a lot of tourists. That’s Venice. But we did have some really beautiful locations in Venice. We filmed at the St. Regis Venice at Gio’s Restaurant. We also shot on the Hotel Danieli’s rooftop restaurant, Restaurant Terrazza Danieli, and Moro Restaurant. The fashion show was staged at Campo San Francesco della Vigna.
But beyond those, it was about getting into the city and following the characters wandering around Venice. I always think about it from the point of view of: What do I want to see? What I love in any city, Paris or Venice or Rome, is wandering around and getting lost. So I love having those moments where the characters are just walking and finding a couple terrific locations. Andy Fleming, who directed these episodes, is a master of finding locations and stitching them together. If characters are walking, it’s not just down one street. We’ll combine it with a couple streets that look amazing. Maybe people who live there will say, “Well, that’s impossible.” But for us it’s about: Visually, what’s going to look best?
