Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk…
I love the movie, I love it not, it’s a tale of once upon a time Fashion was king, it’s a tale of why Fashion still matters, it’s just a light watch, it nearly went there, but then, decimated into just another girls’ night out but won’t change my life kinda watch – it’s not making the MET Gala, but The Devil Wears Prada 2 just made a whole lot of girls smile in the cinema as they watched Miranda Priestly and Andrea Sachs take on the big bad world of high stakes Fashion journalism – and survive. But was it worth the 2 hour watch time? This, is not a review. So sit back and enjoy the read – nothing deep, just like the film.
If you’re going in to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 thinking it could change the world – move over, this is not Oppenheimer. Neither will you get a heart-to-heart America Ferrera awakening on how hard it is to be a woman – ala Barbie the movie (for those who remember). And it’s good to know The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn’t pretending to be any one of these. In fact, it’s not pretending at all. It’s there to have a little bit of fun, remind us that high fashion still turns a few heads, especially when there’s a Pakistani Warp bag in the frame, that too, with Miranda Priestly holding it, and also that icons, no matter how large they are, have a day where they are in fact, as ordinary as you and I.
And in between all the witty dialogue, there are the performances – Meryl Streep blows it away as usual, and if you could imagine she were a man in that power game, you’d see that she’d appear more effortlessly cool, authoritative and less uppity and privileged – more like, she deserves it – it goes with the code. Not me talking, or yes, perhaps me talking? A man might see it another way. Anne Hathaway embraces Andrea Sachs as the endearing soul that drew us into the film all heart and yes, made us pick a side, hers of course. Stanley Tucci, dear Nigel aged like fine wine and it is in what he didn’t say that we found our soul, and Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton entertained, shocked, amused and did it all over again to give the script a punch and a kick when everything started looking too neat and orderly. But, this is not a review. So here goes with the multiple thoughts thread that ran through the mind of yours truly well, because, you can’t just watch it all unfold without those voices in your head that say…
1. The cast seem to be having a whole lot of fun, and getting paid for it.
From Lady Gaga concerting in Milan to Meryl Streep doing her Miranda Priestly sideways glance and diminishing Andy to a fly on the wall, to Nigel ala Stanley Tucci picking out dresses for Andy, it all came together like a school prom. And that too, with outfits that read like a who’s who of the fashion world! Take that for a job that pays well and allows you to play fancy dress, that too, with outfits that read like the A-List wardrobe in your land of fashion dreams – you CAN have it all!
2. It’s just a dress, they say, but no, it’s more than that, it’s THE dress!
And speaking of outfits, this one made me go wow! I absolutely fell for that patchwork maxi dress Andy wore to Miranda’s house, it’s been preying on my mind ever since – if only they’d have some giveaways for that one, I could be in on the fun too – And it’s Gabriela Hearst, I found it from their Spring Summer 2025 collection. Thank me later!
3. Workplace takeaways from The Devil Wears Prada 2?
The only thing that stuck was that next time my boss tells me I can’t, I’ll show them I can – and that’s what Andy taught me, in a wholesome sort of way. From the moment she set foot in her tiny makeshift office, to risking everything by calling an interview she didn’t really have, we rooted for her like we rooted for the girl who needs to win and come out on top, because she believes in her power to make it happen – Andy is all of us when we believe in our dreams. It’s that simple!
4. When Andy’s first piece hit the internet and it was all about the caption
But nobody read the article? Ouch that hurt. And the film got it right when we realized that in today’s world, it’s all about the headlines, not the substance. How the honesty of our words get mixed up in a clutter of information that hits at the speed of lightning in a world that’s too crowded to be able to stand out, just the headlines matter. Isn’t that the struggle?
5. When Sasha’s interview was all about a big reveal
Sounds like the Oprah Winfrey show and maybe it was. Life is all about who gets to say it first. And no matter how far we’ve moved on, whether we wear second-hand to save the planet or save up for that Gucci handbag, it is the gossip that sells, that breaks the news and makes the headlines and, – did The Devil Wears Prada 2 get it right? At the end of the day, we’re all human and spilling the tea is worth quite a bit when you’re taking celebrity interviews and who broke it first wins the gold. Times might have changed, but times really haven’t changed – somethings always stay the same.
6. And in this world of high fashion, are we really worried about losing jobs or flying first class?
When Miranda had to fall back to economy class on a flight, when Andi fought to retain other people’s jobs, was it really about the people or more the status quo? Does Miranda really care about the jobs or more about the champagne she missed in first class? And if so, why is Andy fighting her battle too? But what hit right was Miranda hanging her own coat (rather than throwing it to the first person who catches it) – things have changed and all you have to do is throw your mind back a few years when the photcopier boy would do your copying and the tea boy would make your tea – it’s all DIY now folks, and the world of Miranda Priestly just woke up to it – finally living like the rest of us ordinary people. I find meaning in the smallest places and why not, look at the bigger picture folks, it sits right where it’s meant to.
7. Andy and the written word
If she’s such a good writer who writes from the heart, so much so that people noticed, even in Miranda’s inner circle, why could we not read a few thoughts from the writer herself? The film brushes over the heart of the debate – print lost to digital, the written word lost to big caps headlines, job losses due to down-sizing, AI taking over – but the answer is not in landing a new investor, it’s in doing things differently. Did The Devil lose the plot or fail to pitch it right? Because, at the end of the day, seems like Andy just saved Miranda’s job but how will Runway continue to evolve and grow in a new era? Seems like an open and shut case for The Devil Wears Prada 3 in the pipeline to answer the unanswered.
8. Women supporting women is not a thing and it’s okay
Andrea Sachs is a lone warrior – she saves her job, she saves Miranda, and perhaps, Emily too. But it is Nigel really, the unsung hero (and a man) who works quietly, more like a guardian angel, to set the wheels in motion. And in a way, I’m glad for that because the movie mimics real life – women supporting women is not always a thing – women do get in each other’s way sometimes, and men too, can stand by you – I loved the agenda in this one – there wasn’t one.
9. Except when inclusivity becomes one
From Simone Ashley as Amari to Helen J. Shen as Jin Chao, it’s all happening under the inclusivity umbrella and reading the numbers on audiences – who’s watching and who needs to see themselves onscreen. While the diverse casting can be applauded, perhaps more fleshed-out characters might have made the cut. The Devil Wears Prada 2 main character strength, petite silhouettes and all, is still a whole lot about how the Fashion world is ruled by the old guard – but let’s not lose heart, perhaps the newbies in the cast will take centre stage in a sequel that will change the fashion game and who’s in it?
10. And what was really wrong with Andy’s eyebrows?
I’m like Andy, I didn’t get that either, did you? But I do want to find out where Emily gets her the fix, well because, if your eyebrows are done, you’re just dressed for the day right? The one-liners stuck and that’s were you get your Devil Wears Prada fix and why we watch – from Emily recalling Christmas as the time to gift that pricey fashion piece to the welcome home remark to Andy “Kept those eyebrows though, didn’t you?” and Miranda’s “We have… a cafeteria?” the cast kept it coming and yes, the comic timing matched up.
11. The Milan Fashion Show was seriously IT
Who wanted more of Lady Gaga in the grand finale? Who felt it when the models walked the ramp? If the Devil Wears Prada 2 got one thing right it was the absolute big show, bright lights, grandness feel of the event as haute couture descended upon the ramp, the buzz was palpable and Nigel finally having it all brought it home in just the right way.
12. The moment after the moment
It was when Miranda Priestly walked the deserted Milan streets at night and it was when she cut a sharp silhouette in that final outfit, her statement bow with just the right show of bling – a woman who walked alone, who conquered it all, and who nearly lost – it was a quietly empowering moment and Meryl Streep shaped it for all the women in the world – those who run the show, those who call the shots, and those who have to always look over their shoulder in case they’re being chased down, not always by a man, sometimes by someone from among their very own.
13. But, just a sec… Peter who?
Did Andy really need a love interest? If The Devil Wears Prada 2 stuck to cliches, it was in wrapping up a disagreement as amicably as it could – no communication is good communication, and that’s how Andy and Peter patched up. Perhaps Peter, who cut a charming figure, (Australian accent certainly added to the charm), was pining for his lady love once she had time to return to him after fixing the fashion world, but did we really miss the moment it was supposed to matter? Give me some more of Lady Gaga folks and I’m willing to watch the final fashion sequence on repeat. The romance was a filler, and Andy and everyone in the audience knew it – the question is, maybe Peter knew it too, but he seemed happy with it, so who am I to complain? Love does make the world go round, but in the world of The Devil Wears Prada, it was certainly the Fashion and the women wearing it – we really didn’t need much else. My opinion, happy to share another POV if you feel otherwise.
14. Can’t let you go without the other thing on my mind
Yes, it was the diamond toggle necklace Andy wore throughout the movie and I stalked it. Just because, it’s great to drop that reel on your favourite person just before your birthday – big days are for sharing and here I am sharing what I’d like to wear one day! If it wasn’t on your list, well, now it is!
15. Is there going to be a sequel, again?
Oh well, I wouldn’t put it past the creators. You see, The Devil Wears Prada 2 just skimmed the surface off of what really matters to humans today – AI, big businesses getting it all wrong and apologizing for it – humility is expensive, digital taking over print, (is this forever?), the Miranda Priestly’s of this world flying budget, and a young woman who believes in her power to make it all right (that one was the too-good-to-be-true bit), but made us all believe. And in a world where hope is all we’ve got, where buying any of the accessories or outfits I shipped on The Devil Wears Prada 2 might outstrip my annual allowance, in a world where Shein shoppers are rocking the boat and the fashionista who owns a Coach crossbody might also be owning a K-Pop inspired co-ord bought online for a sum I will not mention but we all know, does The Devil Wears Prada need another go at how the fashion map is shifting and maybe, forever? The newly found Emily-Andy partnership says yes. And anyway, we gotta find out how to fix those eyebrows!
Although, as quotes have it from the film: ” They’re not fatal.”
So my money, folks, is on another sequel, it’s just a matter of time… but let’s hope it’s doesn’t take another 20 years!
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