The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

The Devil Wears Prada stylishly documents the journey of at first surviving in, then thriving in, and finally overcoming a toxic work relationship and environment. The film also directly concerns itself with fashion as presentation, using it as a means to examine our characters’ priorities.

The movie opens by capturing our cast glamorously striding the streets of the city, with the lone exception of Andy, played by Anne Hathaway, who prioritizes comfort and practicality over cutting-edge fashion. However she is entering a world where your choice in outfit and ability to appraise fashion are what generate credibility. Andy is woefully undergunned.

In this unfamiliar land, cattiness is the local dialect, resulting in constant comedic barbs flying through the air at almost any character, with the exception of Miranda, played by Meryl Streep. Condescension is the customary greeting and its severity is gauged by how well you’ve dressed that day. And this only covers pleasantries; Andy’s actual job is exhausting and large in scope. Music marks the madness that ensues with every pile of tasks Miranda dumps on Andrea’s desk, along with her coat and bag. These sequences feature frantic shots of Andy fetching coffee, clothing, and whatever insanely specific thing Miranda needs that day.

In no uncertain terms it is stated that Andy has been afforded an immense opportunity, one she does not fully appreciate. She is initially resistant to adapting and is punished for it. Feeling persecuted, she confides in the ever-snide Nigel, played by Stanley Tucci. She only realizes the problem of her attitude when Nigel succinctly states of Runway Magazine, “This place, where so many would die to work, you only deign to work.”

Assassination of Andy’s wardrobe is a key point early in the film. When Andy trivializes the efforts of the team, Miranda goes on the offensive, attacking Andy’s cerulean sweater. She launches into a breakdown of how fashion trends disseminate from being prestigious, to becoming popular and then ubiquitous, until finally they find their way to the world of cheap knock-offs. Her condemnation of Andy is hard-hitting: “You think you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of 'stuff'."

Finally, Andy enlists Nigel and begins to put in effort to match the world she finds herself in. This is marked by a delightful sequence of Andy’s new wardrobe being shown to us, with her outfit changing as cars pass her by or she moves through doorways and thresholds. Her transformation stuns even Miranda.

Still, Andy is chronically put in the position of being punished and then punishing others. While Andy turns around her image, it does not necessarily result in acceptance as the world of fashion is predicated on rejection. In adapting to this world, Andy has taken on some of the dysfunction she initially despised in her fellow fashionistas. She is hyper-focused on her job, at the expense of friends, family, and her relationship. To match the cattiness of her peers, she grows claws of her own and becomes more combative. At first wounded by Miranda’s petty viciousness, Andy eventually learns to match her energy.

Finally Andy understands the truth. While she has learned a lot from the fashion world, she sees that loyalty to Miranda goes unacknowledged when Nigel is snubbed for a massive professional opportunity in order to further Miranda’s agenda. With the permanence of toxicity now being irrefutable, Andy leaves Runway behind. She is pleased with her decision but deems it a professional failure. She is contradicted near the film’s conclusion, when she realizes that Miranda has provided a blunt but emphatic recommendation on Andy’s behalf for a new position.

Andy and Miranda couldn’t work together. But they arrived at a mutual respect. Andy escaped her toxic environment but was still acknowledged for the enormous change she underwent and the tireless work she put in. At the film’s end, she hybridizes, rediscovering her old sense of self while incorporating her newfound skills of beautification.

The film offers a nuanced outcome to a negative experience, maintaining you don’t have to like someone to learn from them. Advocating for fashion as a medium while also exploring some of the attached dysfunction, The Devil Wears Prada comes dressed to the nines for the occasion and pulls it off with style.