20 Years Later, Does the Devil still wear Prada?

It's actually cerulean!”

This cerulean monologue from the film ‘Devil Wears Prada’ was simply iconic. It became a classroom tool where Miranda Priestly, Editor-in-Chief Runway Mag (a fictional character inspired by Anna Wintour), with a single colour, explained the entire fashion value chain, from couture to clearance counters! Very easily, this monologue broke down the trend-to-retail pipeline. Students could instantly see how a colour travelled through culture to commerce.

But, has the fashion game really changed, or are we all still chasing the same ‘lumpy blue sweater’? In India, in 2006, fashion & luxury was quite an elite playground, primarily due to the imports of Louis Vuitton Noé, Hermès Birkins and Gucci totes. Then, came our e-commerce boom that democratised fashion and luxury to some extent. And, post-pandemic, it's morphed into a sustainable splurge. Couture to retail, we see collections with sustainable textiles, focus on zero-waste patterns, fabric waste (katran) collections, ocean-waste recycled, upcycled silks, pineapple skin fabric and more. So, clearly, the fashion value chain has transformed twice since 2006.

Similar transformation has been seen in the media landscape. Back in that glossy 2006 era, Devil Wears Prada nailed the fashion communication sector’s invisible grind, editorial hustle, styling & accessorising decisions, shoots and creative direction. Fast-forward to 2025, the fashion communication sector has transformed twice over, aligned with the industry. From an era when print magazine editors held total authority to today, when print is in pressure, its circulation stagnant, ad revenues have plateaued, and editorial hierarchies have flattened into leaner teams.

When we look at the creative direction and fashion shoots, DSLRs had barely arrived and nobody had a smartphone camera. Every image required effort, Nigel’s creative direction, Emily’s frantic sourcing and Andy’s seamless communication workflow. Today, as the sequel approaches, students shoot pro-level visuals on their phones, mirrorless cameras rule the industry, and what once needed an entire art department can be prototyped on generative AI. Miranda once needed a team to perfect a look; now a student can test ten variations in minutes. The world that shaped the first film has transformed completely, and so has the way we see, direct, and create.

So what is the modern editor's playbook? What does it look like?

It's all about paywalled articles, social media engagement of the magazine's owned platforms, algorithm friendly content, click-bait digital editions, and of course print runs for some of us who still crave that feel and scent of paper.

The sequel arrives at a moment when the industry is on the edge of yet another huge transformation with AI, which makes it an important time to revisit what the story originally revealed. The 2006 film made it very clear that success in fashion depends on sharp observations, strong writing, sound knowledge of the fashion industry and the ability to work under pressure. It captured the reality behind the glamour. The digital landscape has added newer layers for the talent entering the fashion communication world such as social media analytics, understanding data dashboards, dynamic algorithms and navigating AI skilfully.

What remains unchanged is the need for discipline.

The sequel has a wonderful opportunity to define the new Editor-in-Chief, the evolved Creative Director and a skillful fashion photographer in today’s landscape. It could probe questions like - How to build authority when audiences are fragmented? How editors could stay relevant when algorithms drive reach? This is especially relevant amid the rising influence of content creators, AI stylists and fashion influencers.

So, if the Devil Wears Prada (2006) showed what it takes to survive, maybe the sequel will finally tell us what it takes to stay human in the fashion industry.

This article is written by Prof. Meha Jayaswal, Associate Dean - Fashion Communication & Fashion Styling, Pearl Academy