‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ enters new era of fashion and media

Siena Kessler
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:37:29 +0000
Arts & Life, Entertainment, Features, Instagram Page, Movies, News, Pop culture, Andy Sachs, Anna Wintour, Anne Hathaway, arts & life, college students, content creator, Devil Wears Prada, devil wears prada 2, fashion, film, influencer, instagram, journalism, lantern, magazine, media, meryl streep, Miranda Priestly, movie, ohio state, social media, tiktok, Vogue

From left, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Anne Hathaway attend “The Devil Wears Prada 2” New York premiere on April 20, 2026, in New York City. Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images via TNS

Nearly 20 years after “The Devil Wears Prada” became a defining film in fashion and pop culture, its long-awaited sequel is set to release May 1, bringing audiences back into a world very different from the one they saw in 2006.

The sequel will bring back iconic characters such as Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, Emily Charlton, played by Emily Blunt and Nigel, played by Stanley Tucci, while also introducing new faces. But beyond the cast, experts said the biggest shift may be in the industries the film portrays.

Sara Grady, an assistant professor of communication at Ohio State who studies media psychology, said the original film’s lasting appeal comes from its relatability more than anything else.

“Andy finds herself at a new job, she doesn’t know anyone, she’s a fish out of water,” Grady said. “There are some stories that are universal — the underlying messages and themes are something that everybody can experience.”

Grady said universality is what has allowed the film to endure across generations, even as trends have changed.

She also said the film continues to resonate because audiences return to familiar stories during stressful periods.

“When life is hard, when you have a lot going on [and] you’re super stressed out, a lot of people gravitate toward media that they are familiar with, with characters they know and like,” Grady said. “It’s often called a comfort watch.”

That familiarity also explains the appeal of sequels and reboots, she said, because audiences already have an emotional attachment to the characters.

“We’re already invested in their stories, so it’s less cognitive labor to see another story about them than it is to meet a new library of characters in a whole new story universe,” Grady said.

While the film’s themes remain prevalent, its impact on fashion remains one of its most recognizable legacies, according to Averie Ison, a fourth-year in strategic communications and co-editor-in-chief of Scarlette Magazine, a fashion publication on campus.

She said Andy Sachs’ transformation helped establish how clothes can be a form of personal expression.

“As Andy grows and becomes more confident throughout the film, her style becomes more refined and her outfits tell a story,” Ison said. “It showed that it’s a tool for self-expression, not just functional clothes on a body.”

But Ison said the fashion industry itself has changed dramatically since the film’s release. She said magazines once dictated trends from the top down, but today, that influence has shifted.

“In the original film, Runway Magazine held full power over what was considered fashionable,” Ison said. “That power has shifted to the internet and digital creators.”

Ison said social media platforms now play a central role in shaping trends, with influencers often having more impact than traditional publications.

“Many fashion publications today are influenced by what is happening in the media rather than the other way around,” Ison said.

Ison also said she’s noticed a shift toward sustainability and individuality in modern fashion, particularly among younger consumers.

“Our generation is less focused on luxury and more on sustainability,” Ison said. “We don’t care as much about spending thousands of dollars on luxury pieces, but more on spending it on thrifting, [and] on ethical brands.”

Ison said the industry as a whole has moved toward greater diversity and away from the narrow beauty standards seen in the original film.

“Back when it came out, there wasn’t as much of a focus on inclusion and diversity,” Ison said, pointing to moments in the original film where Andy is criticized for her size.

“In today’s fashion, there’s been a large shift towards that,” Ison said. “While unrealistic beauty standards are still prevalent, brands, publications and digital creators are working to expand into the mindset that fashion is for everyone.”

Beyond changes in fashion and media, Grady said the sequel arrives at a time when workplace expectations have shifted.

“There’s a logic to the first movie that assumes when you get your first entry-level job, it’s totally normal and even okay for your boss to treat you like trash until you prove yourself,” Grady said.

Today, Grady said audiences may be less willing to accept that dynamic.

“I see that less and less normalized in modern culture that I wonder if the first movie came out now, if people would be as sympathetic to Miranda as they were,” Grady said.

Despite these changes, Grady said the film’s core themes continue to resonate with audiences, particularly in how people talk about ambition and power in the workplace.

“It gives us a common language about toxic bosses,” Grady said.

Grady said major films can still provide a rare shared experience.

“Big movies like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ that a lot of people are going to go see, read about or talk about with their friends, give us a little window into that kind of monoculture,” Grady said. “They become a way for us to talk about these ideas with a shared language.”