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An Editor's Thoughts on "The Devil Wears Prada 2"

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777780854218g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_4_87bc83b8.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in <em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em> | Photo by Macall Polay © 2026 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The long-awaited sequel to the phenomenal 2006 high-fashion comedy-drama film, <strong><em>The Devil Wears Prada</em></strong>, is finally here. With big shoes to fill, <strong>Meryl Streep</strong>, <strong>Stanley Tucci</strong>, <strong>Emily Blunt</strong>, and <strong>Anne Hathaway</strong> stepped back into their iconic roles in <strong><em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em></strong>, stepping right into the shoes of editors and journalists today. And yes, thankfully, they’re not all red stilettos; don’t get me wrong, I love those iconic heels, but these days, you can wear sneakers and still command attention.</p><p>The modern audience, industry outsiders specifically, will appreciate how fun and fashionable the movie is. The outfits are still on-point, many reflecting a quiet elegance in tune with the times. The four leads still have the comedic timing their timeless characters now require for a timely portrayal, steered by the reunion of director <strong>David Frankel </strong>and writer <strong>Aline Brosh McKenn</strong><strong>a</strong>. In the sequel, we’re also introduced to new characters representing the younger, “woke” generation, who are delightfully passionate and hardworking in a field challenged by the changing times: <strong>Simone Ashley</strong> as <strong>Amari Mar</strong><strong>i</strong>, Miranda’s current first assistant; <strong>Caleb Hearon</strong> as <strong>Charlie</strong>, Miranda’s current second assistant; and <strong>Helen J. Shen</strong> as <strong>Jin Chao</strong>, Andy’s assistant. And the film’s “villain” is <strong>BJ Novak</strong> as <strong>Jay Ravitz</strong>, who inherits <em>Runway</em> after the sudden death of his father, <strong>Tibor Feldman</strong> as <strong>Irv Ravitz</strong>.<strong> </strong>That<strong></strong> incident not only puts Miranda’s promotion as global content head on hold but also threatens the future of <em>Runway</em>.<em></em><strong></strong></p><p>Whereas the first film showed a glimpse of Paris, France and its glamorous Fashion Week, the sequel travels to another fashion capital, Milan, Italy, the birthplace of the luxury fashion house Prada, to spotlight the intersection of culture and couture. Minus the novelty of seeing the publication side of the fashion world—thanks to the countless photos and videos we see daily on social media that offer a glimpse of it—the sequel has the compelling, meme-able, viral-worthy elements of the first film, making it worth people’s time. </p><p>Even if you’re not part of the characters’ glitzy and glamorous world, you’ll find something about them that you can resonate with—maybe you’re a mom and wife juggling your career like <strong>Miranda Priestly</strong>, a passionate individual who simply wants the opportunities to do what you love like <strong>Andy Sachs</strong>, a driven goal-getter who doesn’t mind going out of your way to get the job done like <strong>Emily Charlton</strong>, or an ever-reliable, kind-hearted human being who has no qualms about walking a few steps behind to follow someone or, if need be, taking some well-timed steps forward to lead another to the right path like <strong>Nigel Kipling</strong>. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777780966476g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_9_7b7ed0fa.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Macall Polay. © 2026 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong>Change is constant</strong></div><p>Andy is right: some things have changed (like, Miranda hanging her own coat now because people have complained to HR about how she would throw her coats at people). But really, for one, we see remarkable character development in Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel. </p><p>Miranda, despite reigning as an “ice queen,” can make hearts melt with how she’s now willing to embrace change while upholding excellence and maintaining her vision; even with her reputation as a trendsetter and tastemaker, she also acknowledges that times are a-changing, and maintaining <em>Runway</em>’s leading status could also mean following and adapting to what’s trending, and catering to people’s tastes rather than dictating what they should feast on. </p><p>Nigel, creative director and Miranda’s longtime friend and ever-loyal right-hand, is the epitome of someone who simply loves what he’s doing and patiently waits for his time to shine. Yes, he could have done better and gotten farther in life had he asserted himself more. But with his kindness, humility, and humanity, he gets his well-deserved moment in the sequel, and we find ourselves rooting for him even more.  </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777781405739g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_6_6734ee72.jpeg" style="width:960px;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Macall Polay. © 2026 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Emily has moved to the other side of the industry and is now an executive at Dior<strong></strong>. She’s still snarky and fashion-obsessed, but she has used those to her advantage and succeeded on her own merits. She does get herself slapped in the face by reality, but it’s woken her up and allowed her to see beyond the blinding lights.</p><p>Andy, now the Features Editor at <em>Runway</em>, is an award-winning investigative journalist who’s gearing up to be a book author. With this new position, she has found a way to marry her love for writing and her interest in fashion. She’s more confident and assertive than ever, but she remains grounded.  She cares about external validation, yes, but let’s just say it’s a momentary way of motivating herself and searching for the right direction to take. At this point in her life and career, she knows what she wants and how to get it, and is confident in what she can bring to the table. </p><p>The biggest change, however, is apparent in the way their industry works. <em>Runway</em> stopped being a magazine. It has become an intangible product consumed on mobile phones, laptops, or tablets. We can all relate to adapting to all these technological advancements. But what that shift in landscape meant for those working in the media industry created something like a sinkhole—with traditions eroding (gosh, I loved proofreading and making those marks on printed layouts, and I miss that sense of fulfillment I got while skimming through “the book”), I had to dig deeper to step into that uncharted territory of websites, social media, SEOs, and the insatiable algorithm. To pivot has become a buzzword. A lot of learning and unlearning. The process that required months to put together a magazine issue has been reduced to a daily grind of churning out content. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777781502086g_the_devil_wears_prada_2_20cs_1_95522504.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios<br/><br/></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777781487397g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_8_d2118275.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Seeing my life on the big screen </strong></div><p>That’s why, for magazine editors and journalists like myself, <em>The Devil Wears Prada 2 </em>felt like a mini documentary of what transpired in the past years when we had to either sink or swim, trying to ride the digital wave. Adapt or die. After all that “print is dead” talk, many publications had to sustain their relevance or resurrect themselves in the online realm, where things happen and can be measured in real time. </p><p>In <em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em>, the two-decade evolution of the media landscape is condensed into two hours of fun, fashion, and feelings. It hits home, and it hits hard. My fellow editors and journalists have also expressed how much the sequel resonated with them, given their experience transitioning from print to digital. It made us feel seen. It’s like a reality check, and the heart of the story hurts, especially for someone like me who grew up collecting magazines, dreamed of a life in that world, and finally landed a job “a million girls would kill for.” </p><p>I was in college when <em>The Devil Wears Prada </em>was released, and despite how hard and demanding the work seemed, I remember it further solidified my resolve to pursue a job in the magazine industry. I always wanted to become a journalist—add my interest in fashion, and it felt like the perfect world for me. I didn’t explore options; I set my eyes on that path. Industry insiders will surely understand when I say that it’s hard to talk about this sequel without making it about yourself; it is, after all, a movie about us and our work. For many, it’s fiction; for us, it’s the reality we live in. </p><p>Was a sequel necessary? Even though it moved at a glacial pace, for me, yes, because just as art imitates life, it was a reflection of the times—<em>aesthetic</em>, as we would say today, albeit painful to some. It was so fun, too, to see this iconic piece of pop culture be celebrated today through all these creative marketing initiatives and activations. You see all these movie-inspired outfits and character interpretations on social media, and well, today, that’s how you know if something is resonating, getting traction, and creating an impact. This stuff certainly didn’t exist in the 2003 novel of <strong>Lauren Weisberger </strong>or in <em>Runway</em>’s world in 2006.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777781677977g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_7_a76811a9.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Macall Polay. © 2026 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>I didn’t expect to cry after watching <em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em>, but I did because it made me look back on my own journey. I didn’t see myself in just one character. I saw myself in Andy, Emily, Miranda, and Nigel—different versions of me at different stages of my life and career.</p><p>Like me, my colleague, <strong>Metro</strong>&#x27;s Beauty and Wellness editor, <strong>Kate Paras-Santiago</strong>, has been working in this industry for 18 years. She said, ”18 years later, I am still working as an editor, and I am just so grateful for all the amazing experiences I’ve had through the years. Being in publishing truly has its ups and downs, but I’d say a lot of the best times in my life have been had because of this job.”</p><p>In the beginning, I questioned myself a lot. Like Andy, I thought, “Do I belong here?” But for every time I thought of quitting, I found two or more reasons to stay. Emily’s iconic quote, “I love my job,” isn’t something I force myself to think or say; I just really, truly, genuinely love my job. </p><p>However, in the sequel, Miranda’s statement, “Boy, I love working,” is the line I resonated with the most. I started in the industry as a fresh-out-of-college writer, and now, I’m a mom and senior editor, who finds herself navigating the road to that elusive work-life balance. Add the pressure to keep up with the fast pace of the digital world we now thrive in, and things can get very exhausting and demanding. But what I admire about Miranda is her passion, gracefully blended with purpose. Nothing beats the sense of fulfillment one gets from doing what she loves the most and finding one’s purpose in life—that is something that never goes out of style. </p><p>But a part of me is also like Nigel. I love Nigel, how loyal and good-hearted he is. He genuinely cares about people, and in his own silent ways, he championed them. Others may think the world of fashion or magazines is shallow, but it’s where I established the deepest friendships. I do wish Nigel had spoken up more; I had the same wish for myself. I realized sometimes we shouldn’t wait for others to acknowledge us lest we get taken for granted. Speaking up has significant merits, especially today, when things can get extremely noisy. Can we adjust the <s>attitude</s> volume, Nigel, yes? </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777782139916g_the_devil_wears_prada_2_20cs_2_913dfb3c.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong>Content with making content</strong></div><p><em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em> made me nostalgic and emotional. Hearing Nigel say that <em>Runway</em> stopped being a magazine, and now the content they work so hard to produce is just something people scroll past while they pee—that was so painful for me. There are shoots now that take our team, say, five weeks to put together. Some articles take me five hours (even more!) to write. And yet, we’d be lucky if people even stay on that page for five minutes. </p><p>Just let that sink in: five hours to work on a story and maybe only five seconds until readers move on to the next story the algorithm feeds them. It’s the sad reality. I’m well aware of the decline in attention span in the digital era (so, congrats and thank you if you have reached this far), and yet, my teammates, industry friends, and I are still here, tirelessly producing content. Don’t even mention how AI has been killing jobs in this industry. <em>The Devil Wears Prada 2</em> didn’t even get to that point. Recently, I heard a business owner say, “Why bother getting a writer? There’s AI.” Now, that’s a whole other story. But can you imagine what this industry would morph into yet again? I’m scared, but at the same time, excited about the possibilities that make producing quality content easier and more accessible. </p><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777782528899g_the_devil_wears_prada_2_20cs_3_3cf18b6c.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The fear of this industry further losing relevance is real, but why do we choose to stay? We all have our reasons. But I think it’s primarily the passion for storytelling and turning a vision into a mission—no matter the format and the platform. It’s a field that continues to evolve, and along with it comes growth for all the players on it. We, too, have evolved. We’re no longer just writers and editors. We’re video producers, video editors, even. We’re podcasters. We’re content creators. At the end of the day, we’re storytellers. So, to my fellow writers, editors, and journalists, let me tell you, &quot;You&#x27;re iconic!&quot; </p><p>And whereas before, our audience was limited to where the print magazines were circulated, now, we have the whole world as our audience. That fact has also made possible what seemed to be impossible collaborations with those miles away. </p><p>The writer’s toolkit has significantly expanded. And something that AI won’t be able to replace or replicate ever, I realized, is our perspective, the way we think and respond to things based on our own experiences. The real conversations we have with people or our interviewees—that is deeply human. </p><p>The future may be uncertain, but human connection is timeless. And for that alone, I’d like to quote Nigel from <em>The Devil Wears Prada</em>: “I hope for the best. I have to.” </p><div><br/></div><div><em><strong>The Devil Wears Prada 2 is now showing. Book your ticket via Ayala Malls Cinemas&#x27; newest platform, Ayala All Access (</strong></em><strong><a href="https://www.ayalaallaccess.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>www.ayalaallaccess.com</em></a><em>), SM Cinema (</em><a href="https://www.smcinema.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>smcinema.com</em></a><em>), Gateway Cineplex 18 (</em><a href="https://www.ticketnet.com.ph/?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnarSsGxDJGNxBbqG1bIaf-GUXqV4mVT7BwU7fLDTC_5849iX3ZLmJFfetPag_aem_Zt_3U55UWGfiC9BiC9TNew" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>ticketnet.com.ph</em></a></strong><em><strong>), or Power Plant (</strong></em><a href="https://powerplantcinema.com/bin/schedule.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>powerplantcinema.com</strong></em></a><em><strong>).</strong></em></div>

<p>The sequel was like a mini-documentary about how editors and journalists have evolved along with the ever-changing media landscape. And, if anything, it was like a tribute to those who didn't run away from their own versions of "Runway."</p>

The sequel was like a mini-documentary about how editors and journalists have evolved along with the ever-changing media landscape. And, if anything, it was like a tribute to those who didn't run away from their own versions of "Runway."

Seeing Your Life Mirrored on the Big Screen: An Editor's Musings After Watching 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

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Seeing Your Life Mirrored on the Big Screen: An Editor's Musings After Watching 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

Grace Libero

Published May 03, 2026 12:50 PM PHT

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Updated May 03, 2026 02:06 PM PHT

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