Our Favorite Fashion From 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' (So Far)

Paparazzi have been hard at work capturing every inch of the public facing sets from the sequel to the fashion industry's favorite movie. Decades after the original defined a generation of young glitterati aspirants like myself, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep and friends are back to enchant the world once more in Chanel boots and teensy tiny Dior coats. It's like no time has passed at all, least of all for women who can afford (quite literally) all the Botox in the world.

I'm talking about the characters of course. I'd never remark on Anne Hathaway's perpetually youthful glow.

While plot details are still slim, we do know a few things: Andy Sachs and Miranda Priestley have been reunited, Emily Charlton is a high-powered Dior executive now, and there's going to be a Met Gala. It wouldn't be a modern fashion movie without a Met Gala! It's a dreary precedent set by Ocean's 8, a grim affair​. While it makes sense to portray the defining fashion event of the century, it remains to be seen if The Devil Wears Prada.2 can reinvent the wheel (again.)

What is known? The costume department is firing on all cylinders. Below, I've broken down the fashion clues and easter eggs peppered across the various pap shots captured on set, alongside the potential characterizations they might point to for the upcoming film.

Shall we get to it?

Andy Sachs was a woman who came from an untraditional fashion background. Mainly, wearing down-low Burlington Coat Factory fits at a low-circulation paper, hoping to make it big as a serious journalist with something to say.

Runway, of course, had other plans for her.

It’s nice to see that original Andy return, if changed by the experience and years since her tenure in the fashion industry. We don’t know how or where the movie first finds her, but these are contemporary and elevated ensembles that original Andy first showed up in. In fact, that brown fit in particular calls to mind the leather jacket she ends the first movie in.

In many of the street scenes captured by paparazzi, Andy is seen running after Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestley. If I was to make an educated guess, they’re a part of a montage showcasing their new working dynamic. Perhaps Andy’s been out of the game and is slightly frazzled by her sudden return into Miranda’s clutches.

Of course, this is idle speculation, but these tailored outfits are a noted departure from the more organic, soft neutrals and earth tones seen in earlier pap shots. I love the costume design around the pants in particular, giving each significant volume and dramatizing her slim silhouette. That sleek tie is also exquisite, tying — sorry, I had to — the look back to her vest and skirt ensemble.

These dresses are also quite fun and flirty, but hold true to the very sleek lines and sense of movement each outfit seems to capture. I’m quite interested to see who has Andy swinging from these poles, though!

Speaking of a dramatized silhouette, there’s fun proportions around these skirts. The second in particular calls to mind her Gap collaboration, interestingly. I also like the throughline of elevated office-wear, as it feels extremely Andy Sachs.

I’ve seen various levels of pushback online around the seemingly neutral approach to her wardrobe so far. I suspect people only remember that particular party scene (or the Chanel boots) and not what Andy actually dressed like.

Meryl Streep

It’s like they pulled the memory of Miranda Priestley right from my mind and into the real world. I could have sworn I’ve seen her in this outfit before, but I suspect the actual answer is a characterization about her inability to move on from the past. While something a woman of her age may wear, certainly, it’s also rooted in the past. I’ll eagerly await how that friction might present in her relationship to Andy, or the fashion industry.

Again, there’s something quite dated about her ensemble that has me wondering where they might be going with this. If I’ve read too much into it, I’ll be disappointed!

Emily Blunt

Emily! I genuinely gasped, as this is just about the only thing I would have wanted to see her in. Vogue reports that she’ll play a “high-flying exec at Dior,” following up on the plotline from the original film. It’s nice to see we’ll have a narrative throughline from the original that isn’t just — hopefully — recycled quotes and expected cameos. Our girl’s been moving up in the world since the last time we saw her!

Stanley Tucci is wearing a suit. This is totally unexpected and I have nothing more to say on the matter, except that it’s a very good suit indeed.

Newcomer Simone Ashley has made quite the splash in the tabloids, showing off a significantly more youthful angle to the fashions so far. From her flats and lacey slip in the third photo to the Monse dress in the first, I can’t get enough. I suspect she’ll either play a junior at the magazine or an assistant looking to move up in the world.

Or, she’s the creative director at Chanel for all we know.

Karolina Kurkova

I wanted to give a specific shoutout to this Stéphane Rolland couture dress, worn by Karolina Kurkova at the Met Gala scene. It was first seen on Adriana Karembeu on the Cannes red carpet earlier this year — and on the runway last year. What a showstopper!

Images via Getty