Twenty years ago, Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) graduated from Northwestern to become a journalist. Instead, she found herself working for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the editor-in-chief of fashion empire Runway Magazine. 

“The Devil Wears Prada” was directed by David Frankel and released in June 2006. The film became one of the biggest box office hits of the summer. It grossed over $120 million domestically and over $300 million overall in its initial release.

Hathaway, Streep and their co-star Emily Blunt took to the big screen to tell the story of how isolating yourself in pursuit of success can come at a cost. This film explores the theme of staying true to yourself while also sharing the importance of art and fashion and their impact on people.

As Andrea undergoes her character arc, the film reflects on how the journey to success can affect the people around you and force you to question who you are. Andrea starts by rejecting the idea of working at Runway Magazine but chooses to take the position with the end goal of working at a hard news publication.

As Andrea continues to work for Runway Magazine, she begins to witness Miranda’s bossy, mean and unappreciative methods. Andrea is tasked with doing improbable tasks in a short amount of time for Miranda while also ensuring things are in order without any slight mistakes. Miranda would either comment on how poorly Andrea is doing or completely ignore her good work.

Eventually, as time goes on, this causes Andrea to reach a breaking point. Afterwards, she realizes there is much to be learned about the fashion industry and that being Miranda’s assistant could help her become a journalist. Andrea begins to take her job seriously and finds herself becoming one of Miranda’s “clacks” — a gaggle of assistants whose heels clack as they scurry around, tending to her every demand.

Eventually, Andrea becomes so obsessed with her work that she pushes away her boyfriend, friends, parents and co-workers without realizing. But after a one-on-one conversation with Miranda, Andrea realizes she is becoming the person she had once despised. 

Andrea ends her story by leaving Runway Magazine to pursue who she wants to be — a journalist. Over at Runway Magazine, Miranda finally has an assistant she can be proud of, as she is seen smiling as the closing credits begin to roll. 

Although this film was successful at the box office, it hasn’t aged well in all respects. At face value, it gave insights into the world of fashion and the meaning of the clothes we wear and why they are valued.

As time went on, fashion became more mainstream. People’s love for fashion is a big value from the film that still holds up in today’s world. 

Now, in the world of social media, it has become a conscious thought in everyone’s mind before they post or walk out their doors. As they continue to express their passion for fashion, there are some moments where the patterns we see in the film do not agree with how we do things in society now.  

In the deeper end of themes, we can see the power dynamics of working in a major corporation like Runway Magazine. The idea of working in a toxic work environment can be seen as a mirror. In modern-day workplaces, it is taught to have a welcoming and inclusive work environment. This was not the case with Runway Magazine, as everyone was constantly judged by their physical appearance and their inability to meet the unrealistic work expectations. 

This was clearly set in place to help show that a toxic work environment has a negative effect on you. People will look down on this type of workspace now, as no one wants to feel disrespected or bullied. The idea of agreeing with whatever the boss says and being looked at as just another employee is not something people appreciate in their workplace. In the last 20 years, it’s clear that toxic work environments aren’t as successful as the film leads on. 

However, there are some areas where the film acts as a reminder of the values we should still hold to this day. 

In the scene where Andrea is about to quit, she speaks with Nigel (Stanley Tucci), and he shares his reasoning for why he fell in love with fashion. It is not about the clothes you wear or show off to your friends; it is about the meaning and care with which they were made. 

In 2026, the debate over the use of generative artificial intelligence has been more controversial than ever. Generative AI has replaced many artists because of how cheap and fast it can produce results.

The value of human care that is put into the design of clothing or art still holds true 20 years later. In fact, when Nigel explains why the industry is important to him, it makes the theme of human creativity more valuable than ever within the debate on the use of AI.

The meaning behind physical art, like fashion or the magazine industry in general, has that human element that connects people, and a computer program can’t replicate it. With the attempt to replace models with AI, there is still a lot of pushback. Vogue and Guess have attempted to put AI in the industry, but an article by the BBC says that it has received backlash. 

Even after two full decades, the era of media has changed, and Frankel reunited the cast to tell the story of Runway Magazine in the modern era. In “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” the magazine industry is struggling, and Miranda is scrambling for something “fresh” to keep Runway Magazine running and at the top. During this time, Andrea returns to Runway Magazine after being laid off from her once-successful job as a journalist. 

The sequel hit theaters at the beginning of May and accumulated over $600 million in its first month, which is twice as much as the 2006 release. The story originally told 20 years ago still has a hold on people, which in itself shows how relevant it is today. This has allowed a sequel to be made to explore the modern-day struggles of magazines and the presentation of physical art.

While both films were released in two different eras with two different target audiences, the themes and values still remain the same. It is easy to be consumed and swayed because of your environment, but at the end of the day, you have the choice to continue to walk that runway or stay true to who you are.

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