The Devil Wears Prada is a must-watch for anyone interested in fashion. But what makes it a beloved crowd-favourite? Is it the relatable (yet intimidating) clichés of the fashion industry? Or the glossy depiction of fashion journalism in the early 2000s, an era that now seems to have vanished, but everyone grew up idolizing? Either way, one thing is certain: the styling and clothing are top-notch. And the masterminds behind this are the creative duo, Patricia Field and Molly Rogers.

In a film where fashion is the storyline, every piece is selected with intention and research. We sat down with Rogers—the associate costume designer on the first film—to explore the duo’s creative vision and unpack exactly what was on their moodboard.

Rogers reveals that from the outset, there was one guiding principle to their styling choices: timelessness. Whether watched in 2006 or 2026, the clothing had to withstand the test of time and transcend trend cycles. And that it did. “You really cannot time-stamp these classic basics, and I enjoy seeing that the film’s clothing has held up,” says Rogers.

When it comes to inspiration, thankfully, living in New York City made it easy. The scene in the city was overflowing with creativity and taste. “We lived in the NYC world of fashion, so we drew inspiration from our daily lives,” says Rogers. The world they were mimicking on the screen already reflected that of their everyday experiences. “This was modern life in the NYC fashion scene; it was all around us to take in.”

For traceable style references, Anne Hathaway‘s depiction of Andy Sachs drew inspiration from Annie Hall, the androgynous style icon portrayed by Diane Keaton (who famously sourced her looks from Goodwill stores). Meanwhile, they turned to leading Vogue editors like Polly Mellen and Carrie Donovan for Meryl Streep‘s Miranda Priestly. Rogers describes Nigel Kipling, played by Stanley Tucci, as being a ‘riff between Hamish Bowles and Andre Leon Talley.

One might assume that having already worked on costume projects like Sex and the City, securing designer participation would be straightforward; however, that wasn’t always the case. Rogers revealed that three fashion houses declined to participate in the first film out of loyalty to Anna Wintour, while others, such as Valentino Garavani, offered their support, reaching out to Meryl Streep directly to ask how they could help.

The styling choices also represented some ‘firsts’ for actresses, like Anne Hathaway. “I recall her saying this is my first time in high heels,” says Rogers. “I felt like Anne trusted our choices and met our wardrobe decisions with glee as she had a learning curve, but was, of course, ready to transform from the fish out of water.”

And then there were moments that blurred fiction and reality. “I always laugh when I see Gisele Bündchen in her scene,” Rogers recalls. “Pat was like, ‘Get me a Dolce vinyl pencil skirt! Find one!’ just like Miranda Priestly would have commanded in her own office.” In the thick of it, the characters were humorously rubbing off on the team.

Today, that very look worn by Gisele is omnipresent across Pinterest feeds and TikTok moodboards, thanks to the rise of the “office-core” trend—proof that the film helped define and dictate trends nearly a decade later.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 debuts exclusively in theatres on May 1, 2026.

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios.