It has been two decades since The Devil Wears Prada came out, and the film still hasn't gone out of style. The sequel rolls out the red carpet to fans this weekend when it arrives in theaters. The movie is all about the world of high fashion: the dress, the shoes, the belts, the bags and even the catfights. The second film brings back Meryl Streep as the iconic Miranda Priestly, the apex diva editor of Runway magazine, and Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, who was Priestly's assistant in the first film.
The movie became a cultural touchstone even for people who do not care about the fashion industry. Robin Givhan, who won a Pulitzer Prize for writing about fashion and culture at The Washington Post, tells Morning Edition that Streep's fabulousness and the film's visual eye candy drew viewers in. Givhan says the movie also gave people a look inside a world that they're somewhat curious about, even if they are a bit put off by it.
What the movie gets right about fashion
Though the film is a work of fiction, Givhan says it gets a lot right about the world of fashion. "You know, the scene that so many people point to is the famous cerulean blue scene," she said while speaking to NPR's Michel Martin. "It really kind of explains to people: This is the road that fashion takes from a designer showroom through a fashion magazine onto a mass market."
Givhan says The Devil Wears Prada is one of her favorite films about fashion because it shows the industry's craziness and why people do it. She points to a scene in the movie where Stanley Tucci's character, Nigel, says the magazine is more than just a bunch of photos of outlandish clothing. In the scene, Nigel explains that the magazine can be a beacon of hope for a young boy who grew up pretending to go to soccer practice while really attending sewing classes.
How women show and use power
Women are seen as powerful figures throughout the movie. As a boss, Streep's character never raised her voice or yelled. Givhan points out that the angrier she got, the more intimidating she became and the lower her register dropped. "It is daunting. I mean, you see this very controlled person," she adds. "I think that is instructive in people sort of understanding the way that women can and do wield power."
Changing perceptions
With cultural films like this one, viewers' understanding of the film can change over time. One of the prime changes Givhan has seen is people's response to Hathaway's character's boyfriend. "At the time, he was sort of seen as this grounding force and reminding her of who she was before she sort of got, you know, sort of swept up in this fashion world," Givhan said. "And I think now you look back and you sort of see him as this kind of toxic person." People see him now as someone who failed to support his girlfriend, she adds.
Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.
The web copy was written by Brittney Melton and edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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