The ruffling of a fur coat, the clacking of heels on the floor, and the general panic in the corridors: Miranda Priestly has arrived at the Runway offices. Released in 2006, The Devil Wears Prada fascinated generations of fashionistas, who would kill to be in Andrea Sachs' place. Thanks to a script that explores the ins-and-outs of fashion publications, and a glamorous cast, David Frankel's movie succeeded in seducing even industry pros. Vogue lifts the veil on some fun facts from behind the scenes of the 21st century's most fashionable film.
A gigantic costume budget
Though several fashion brands refused to appear in this satire of American Vogue to avoid displeasing Anna Wintour, others had confidence in costume designer Patricia Field to enhance their designs. Patricia Field, who worked on Sex and the City and, more recently, Emily in Paris, was responsible for recreating this colorful microcosm of the fashion world, with outfits unrivaled in style. The proof: most of the costumes worn by Andrea, Emily, and Miranda have lost none of their excellence, despite the 14 years since the film's release. One of the most iconic scenes is where Andy Sachs finally embraces her position as an assistant at the fashion magazine, and parades around New York City changing outfits constantly. Chanel, Calvin Klein, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs… the total bill? Almost 1 million dollars, which makes The Devil Wears Prada's wardrobe one of the most expensive in movie history. The most precious piece was the $100,000 Egyptian-inspired Fred Leighton necklace worn by Meryl Streep. The price is spare change compared to the movie's $326.5 million box office sales.
A quick script
When Fox acquired the rights to Lauren Weisberger's book, the author had not even finished writing it. The Devil Wears Prada was published in 2003, and the film adaptation was released in cinemas 3 years later, but the script had been long underway. Challenge number one for Elizabeth Gabler, the production manager: focus the movie on the relationship between Andrea and Miranda, and reinvent the third act, quite different from the book's ending. Four screenwriters worked on the script, but in the end Aline Brosh McKenna was chosen, thanks in particular to her experience as a journalist in New York. After Meryl Streep was cast in the role of the ferocious Miranda Priestly, Aline Brosh McKenna took great pleasure in describing Runway's obnoxious editor, giving her the sharp lines we know by heart today.
The fantastic four
Though Lauren Weisberger's book was an enormous success, it was the perfect cast that made the movie a true phenomenon. To play Miranda Priestly, director David Frankel's team set their sights on Meryl Streep from the start. To convince the initially reluctant actress, Fox didn't hesitate to sign a check for $4 million. In the role of the naive yet promising Andrea Sachs, the crew initially thought of Rachel McAdams, popular thanks to The Notebook and Mean Girls. But Anne Hathaway, David Frankel's second favorite, was the obvious choice, as she loved the role. For Emily Charlton, the character we love to hate, it was Emily Blunt's British accent and lively and impertinent spirit that won over casting agents. Finally, the role of Nigel went to Stanley Tucci, after Simon Doonan (Creative Ambassador-at-Large at Barney's) and presenters Graham Norton (BBC) and Robert Verdi (E!) auditioned.
Meryl Streep under house arrest
The third act of The Devil Wears Prada features Miranda and her assistant Andrea traveling to Paris for Fashion Week. But the sequence was almost never shot in France. With a budget of $41 million, Fox considered it too expensive to shoot the Parisian scenes against their real backdrop. Finally convinced, part of the crew went to the French capital… With the exception of Meryl Streep. Like her character, stuck in New York for her twins' recital, the actress couldn't go to Paris to shoot the Fashion Week scenes, for budgeting reasons. What looks like the inside of the Ritz on the Place Vendôme is actually the St Regis Hotel in Manhattan. The runway scenes were shot on-site in Queens.
Is The Devil Wears Prada inspired by Anna Wintour?
It's no secret: Lauren Weisberger wrote her book after she herself was Anna Wintour's assistant at American Vogue. But Meryl Streep took a slightly different approach to play the glacial Miranda Priestly. Of course, the actress borrows her iron fist and sense of style from the editor in chief, but she has several other inspirations. She kept her American identity rather than adopting Anna Wintour's British accent, and referred to Diana Vreeland's journal (editor in chief of American Vogue from 1963 to 1971), Helen Mirren's hairstyle, and Clint Eastwood's taciturn personality. A calm tone, never raising her voice, and yet eliciting an imposing presence that makes anyone around her shudder… Miranda Priestly exudes charisma and leadership. As for Miranda's office, it was recreated by production designer Jess Gonchor, and directly inspired by Anna Wintour's. Far from holding a grudge, Anna Wintour —who attended the premiere dressed in Prada — told ABC News that she liked the movie, adding, “anything that makes fashion entertaining and glamorous and interesting is wonderful for our industry. So, I was 100 percent behind it.”
The success of Emily Charlton
While David Frankel's movie focuses on the relationship between Andrea and Miranda, another character clearly steals the limelight. Emily, the editor's overworked first assistant, is hilarious in spite of herself. Devoted to the magazine and her boss, her punchlines give The Devil Wears Prada that bite we all love. According to Lauren Weisberger, the character was also inspired by a colleague at Vogue: Plum Sykes, a former socialite, now a best-selling novelist. As a nod to Emily Brunt's British nationality, Patricia Field mostly dressed her in Vivienne Westwood looks.
Is cerulean blue iconic?
Though highly romanticized, several fashion professionals have claimed that The Devil Wears Prada benefitted the profession, by lifting the veil a little on magazines and runways. Among the most legendary scenes of the movie is Miranda Priestly's unforgettable monologue on Andrea's synthetic cerulean blue sweater. With a terrifyingly cold nonchalance, the Runway boss details the history of cerulean blue in modern fashion, and proves to her assistant that what seems trivial to her actually generates billions of dollars. But there's no point in verifying the accuracy of Miranda's Oscar de la Renta runway anecdote: the writers made the entire monologue up!
Translated by Ella Jones
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