Cover From left: Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
From left: Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
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The highly anticipated sequel to ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ serves as a witty yet poignant reflection of a struggling industry grappling with the “Pompeii lava” of AI and digitalisation
For those embedded in the luxury magazine business, the characters of the original 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada remain archetypes: the “devil” herself, Miranda Priestly (famously modelled after Vogue’s longtime editor-in-chief Anna Wintour); Emily Charlton, the ambitious assistant adoring the fashion world’s spoils; and Nigel Kipling, the silent guardian of Runway. Then, of course, there is Andrea Sachs—the “unfashionable” assistant who stumbles into a world of glitz and hardens herself against the cut-throat nature of high-fashion commerce. Many an editor today can likely recall a time they, like Sachs, questioned their own “cerulean” choices before a daunting hiring manager. Myself included.
Twenty years have passed since the first film revealed the inner workings of an industry where “a million girls would kill for this job”. In that era, success required being visionary and, above all, fast. In the sequel, released yesterday (April 29), Sachs returns as features director at Runway, finding a landscape that feels uncomfortably close to home for modern journalists. The tides have turned; the media is no longer the undisputed authority or trendsetter. Publications now face downsizing, budget cuts and a sweeping “lava of Pompeii”—the digitalisation of print and the rise of AI as fittingly described by a tech mogul character in the movie.
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Above From left: Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
From left: Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
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Behind her snarky remarks and impeccably tailored coats, the once all-powerful editor-in-chief, Priestly, is seen dropping her crown. The film’s strength lies in its ironies: Priestly’s awkward kowtowing to the relentless demands of Dior highlights how editorial integrity often vanishes in the face of financial struggle. The overblown luxury of flying first class to fashion weeks is now a comical, nostalgic remembrance. Even a gala curated by Kipling risks silence because John Legend’s request to ship in a piano is simply deemed too expensive for the current budget.
The decline of this once-glorious industry is felt even in hard news. Sachs, who worked at a newspaper before her return to Runway, finds herself fired not for lack of talent but funding. Her desperate, anguished scream at a media award ceremony—“journalism f*cking matters”—falls on unheeding commercial ears. It begs a dark, digital-age question: what is truth worth when the budget is zero?
Above Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
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However, The Devil Wears Prada 2 avoids wallowing in self-pity. As the characters adapt, a new working culture emerges on a more optimistic note: a new generation of management holds C-suite meetings in canteens rather than flaunting wealth in lavish restaurants. Even Priestly is corrected for her signature insensitive choice of words; in a delightful twist of workplace justice, she is now required to hang her own coats following a workplace complaint.
The movie has faced some backlash regarding the portrayal of an Asian assistant, Jin Chao, due to the phonetic similarity of her name to a common slur. Criticisms have also been levelled at the stereotypical “nerdy” high-achiever aesthetic—thick glasses and conservative outfits—assigned to the character. While the film could have certainly benefitted from more imaginative naming and styling for Chao, the assertion that her eager-to-please personality is inherently problematic may be an overreaction. After all, Sachs, a high-achieving graduate of Brown University, began her journey in a similarly “hideous” skirt.
Above Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (Image: courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Macall Polay)
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The Devil Wears Prada 2 certainly delivered, serving as a hilarious and heartwarming reunion that balances nostalgic references with a refreshing shift in tone and topic. While the wardrobe remains as dazzling as ever, complemented by an electrifying cameo from Lady Gaga and glamorous sets at the Waldorf Astoria, the film offers more than just surface-level brilliance. Beneath the glitz is a grounded story about succession, the necessity of adapting to a brave new world and the enduring fight for the survival of the craft.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
