According to Victoria Zito, there’s “never been a show on Bravo” like "Real Girlfriends in Paris."
Premiering Sept. 5, 2022 at 9:15 p.m., "‘Real Girlfriends in Paris" takes Bravo fans for an extended stay in the city of romance, following six female American expats: Anya Firestone, Emily Gorelik, Margaux Lignel, Kacey Margo, Adja Toure and Victoria Zito. Whether they’re navigating new love interests, career changes or friendship conflicts, the ladies remain laser-focused on cementing who they are, and who they want to become.
TODAY caught up with the girlfriends ahead of the Season One premiere to talk about what’s to come.
The cast shared what to expect this season
For Margaux, joining the show was “a no brainer,” especially because of her unique story: She’s an American with French parents who is now back in Paris. After growing up between New York and Paris, Margaux went to school at the American School in Paris, FIT and the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design, forging a foundation in fashion to propel her into her future.
Margaux teased that we’ll see her experience “a lot of hurdles” with her family this season with regard to her financial independence, but noted that she’s “very proud” of where she’s at today.
Before moving to Paris in 2017, Victoria had never been out of the country before … in fact, she got her first passport just before moving! Born and raised in Texas, Victoria made the leap to move to Paris to build her life and pursue a career in fashion.
Victoria told TODAY she’s been on a “really long journey” to get where she is today, as she’s now the head designer at a nascent fashion brand, Chloe Collette, a journey we’ll see on screen.
For Emily, constantly being compared to "Emily in Paris" is “very frustrating,” so joining the show offered her the chance to showcase “the real struggles and the ups and downs” of being an expat.
Emily said, “It’s more than just dating around and being serenaded. It’s actually trying to build a life here. We’re not just on vacation. We’re Americans who chose Paris, who chose to live here, who are actively trying to build and assimilate into the country.”
As an art historian who is licensed by the French government to give tours at every historical and cultural venue in Paris, joining the show allowed Anya to show her girlfriends and viewers a deeper look at Paris. For Anya, it was “exciting to be given that platform to open people’s minds to art and culture.”
“I am so passionate about French culture. It’s like I was born French in another life,” Anya said. “To be able to be given a platform to express myself as an art theorist…we haven’t seen an art philosopher on Bravo before. A philosopher can be quirky, drink champagne, go out with her girlfriends and defy a stereotype. I’m proud of who I am. I’m not what people might think immediately when they look at us.”
After falling in love with Paris while in college, Kacey moved to the city and became an English teacher, offering her the chance to build a life and figure out who she really is.
Kacey told TODAY, “(this season), I learned a lot about myself. You can pretend to deny things that are happening to you, around you, then when everyone sees them, it’s like, ‘Yep, this is real, and this is happening.’ It’s so exciting to see how it all comes together because it’s just been a blast. It’s been like the time of my life quite literally.”
For Adja, moving to Paris was a self-proclaimed product of “karmic energy,” as she told TODAY, “I was putting out some good vibes when I got the call (to be on the show).”
While filming, Adja kept working her 9-5 day job on New York hours, pushing her to new limits. Adja said, “those 18 hour days (of filming), I did not sleep, and now, I know I don’t need to. A running gag was that my laptop is always in my hand. You’ll see that, but hopefully not too much of it!”
The cast shared why the show is unique
The show — a departure from Bravo’s hallmark “Real Housewives” and “Below Deck” franchises, offers a new take on reality television, and a change of form for Bravo’s usual production styles -- a sentiment the cast embraces.
Before joining the show, Adja said she was “skeptical about (the authenticity of) reality television,” but “was not guided in any manner” by producers during filming — making the show as genuine as possible.
Adja explained, “the thing that makes it really special is the fact that we’re six different girls that actually get along really well. There’s not the same housewives drama.”
“I think that the longevity of this show, should it happen, would be because it’s a show about friendship. It’s a show about girls who have solidarity with each other because they’re in a very unique situation together. I hope that we get some fans out of it because personally, I think it’s pretty different in a really positive light,” Adja said.
Emily told TODAY that the ladies are all vastly different … but their differences brought them closer and their genuine relationships will be apparent on screen.
Emily said, “we are kind of all dealing with our own struggles. We’re all dealing with our own individual career struggles and relationships. At the end of the day, we’re dealing with these individual struggles, but we also come together as a group and are able to be there for each other and be a crying shoulder, a laugh or motivation.”
Anya noted that the show isn’t all “rosé and roses,” and added that we’ll see the ladies experience complications with their finances, or even challenges obtaining visas — all real-life struggles that viewers can relate to.
The cast shared what they hope people take from the show
As the ladies are sharing their steps (and missteps!) to find themselves in Paris, they hope to inspire viewers to follow in their footsteps and take similar leaps.
Kacey said the show will “hit home for everybody,” giving viewers the chance to “see what the real Paris is like.”
“I’m excited for people to see every day Paris as opposed to Instagram Paris or Pinterest Paris,” Kacey added.
Margaux hopes that viewers will see that “that following your dreams is really, really possible and that you can dream big and that shouldn’t scare you.”
Anya shared a similar sentiment, “I hope that the show inspires people who believe that they are not, and who are not in fortunate enough positions to go to Paris. I hope that it inspires them to know that you can come from difficult places, from no money, from wherever. If you have a drive, and if you’re smart, you can do it.”
Victoria’s experience filming continued her next chapter of her “open book” lifestyle, and she hopes that her journey offers inspiration to other girls who today live in the place she once was.
Victoria told TODAY, “if one little girl in like Louisiana, or Texas that comes from a similar background as me can see that, if I can just inspire like one person that like, you can really accomplish whatever you set your mind to, then it’s worth it.”
“If there’s a will, there’s a way. If you want to move to Paris, and you want to have a far-fetched dream that your family says is impossible…if you set your mind to it, you can do it,” Victoria said.
Adja added that she hopes the show informs viewers that “taking risks is really important. ... If anyone out there is planning on making that big jump or wants to move across the world or wants to take a new job somewhere, I really think you should do it.”
The cast answered superlatives, spilling about what’s to come.
On who causes the most drama in the friend group:
Margaux: “Victoria, but intentionally, Victoria,” Margaux said.
Emily: Victoria
Anya: Victoria
Kacey: Zsa Zsa, Anya’s dog
Adja: Zsa Zsa, Anya’s dog
On who has the best fashion:
Margaux: Victoria and Margaux
Victoria: Margaux and Victoria
Emily: Anya. “If someone disagrees, they’re lying,” Emily said.
Anya: Anya
Kacey: Anya. “Anya wakes up couture. She’s a living moment,” Kacey said.
Adja: Anya. “She’s stunning. She just does it every time she pulls any outfit for any occasion. I’m like, how are you this prepared?” Adja quipped.
On who makes the group laugh the most:
Margaux: Anya
Victoria: Anya
Emily: Adja and Anya
Kacey: Adja. “I’m a teacher…I know a class clown when I see one,” Kacey joked.
On who throws the best events:
Margaux: Anya
Victoria: Anya
Emily: Anya
Anya: Anya
Kacey: Adja and Anya
On who has the most captivating storyline:
Margaux: everyone. “I think everyone went through some sort of evolution that was incredible,” Margaux said.
Victoria: everyone
Emily: everyone. “I really believe that all of us have our own individual stories and evolutions. We all grew up a lot,” Emily said.
Anya: everyone. “We just come from very different backgrounds. Some evolve at different paces than others. Some are slow to try to change and some are dying to change” Anya explained.
