Full of fashion. Check.

Full of travel and beautiful interiors. Check.

Likable, strong female characters. Check. 

Stanley Tucci. Check. 

The 20-year wait for the sequel to premiere did not disappoint.

The Devil Wears Prada 2, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, directed by the same director who directed the original The Devil Wears Prada, David Frankel, is a true sequel that allows each of the characters to evolve. And you see that evolution not only in their life choices and career moves, but you see it in their fashion. 

Molly Rogers is the costume designer, and in fact, her name is included in the opening credits, which you don’t see very often in films. But it’s, as we know, this film is all about fashion. So it would be weird not to have her because without the clothes, we don’t have the show. If you know Molly Rogers, you already know that she was the costume director of And Just Like That, and she worked under Patricia Fields in Sex and the City and again under Patricia Fields for the first Devil Wears Prada.

I look forward to watching this film again, simply to look at all the fashion. But I have to say, not to compare, but rather to extend appreciation for the fact that this second film deepens the characters, all four of them, primarily Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. And yes, Emily Blunt’s character too as you see Hathaway and Blunt’s characters’ friendship deepen. This second film also has a bit more substance to it regarding the plot as they address real industrial concerns both in the world of fashion and in the world of journalism. 

The film begins in Manhattan, where we see Anne Hathaway’s character walking to an award ceremony in the middle of the day, having become an esteemed journalist. Beginning with the very first scene, the audience is given little Easter eggs, and they continue to be sprinkled hroughout this film for those who have watched the first one more than a few times (count me among you). Back to that first scene of the film – Hathaway’s character looks at various clothing in the park at vendors that are on the street/park, she peruses western style belts, similar to those that she worked with during her tenure at Runway magazine and specifically with Miranda (Streep) and having been schooled with regards to cerulean blue in one particularly memorable scene. 

Cerulean blue comes into play specifically in the last scene in Anne Hathaway’s character’s outfit. Without giving anything away, you’ll recognize the allusion immediately. Molly Rogers talked about how including this outfit was not up for debate; it was a ‘had to be included’ decision and involves a certain sweater vest choice. It’ll bring a smile. 

The Devil Wears Prada 2 fleshes out each of the four main characters. It is more opulent in the settings than the first film, as they had a bigger expense account. And to return to the point about deepening each character and our understanding of them: In an interview with Meryl Streep, she sat down along with the other three cast members for a NYTimes profile and she shared that during the particular scene where Miranda comments about how much she loves her job (the scene is with Anne Hathaway in the car that’s taking them back to New York from being in upstate New York to talk to Lucy Liu’s character). It’s just a small, seemingly little line, stated at the end of the conversation about why she puts herself through all that she does – the stress, the tension, etc. And she says, because I love what I do. And Meryl Streep in her interview shared that that line was not scripted. That she ad-libbed, indirectly commenting also about herself, but also what she felt was appropriate for the character. 

While I talk a bit more about why I appreciated this addition by Streep in the podcast episode’s audio edition as well as share a few more tidbits and insights about the film, If you haven’t gone already to the theater to watch it, it is worthwhile watching on a big screen. The film will begin streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu in late August or early September. 

Have a look at the trailer below:

~Explore more Petits Plaisirs in TSLL’s Archives here.