A lookback at 'The Devil Wears Prada'

The Devil Wears Prada (film 2006)

After graduating from Northwestern University with dreams of becoming a serious journalist, Andrea “Andy” Sachs moved to New York City determined to start her career in publishing. Andy was intelligent, ambitious, and passionate about writing meaningful stories, but she had little interest in glamour, celebrity culture, or the fashion world. To her, fashion magazines seemed superficial and disconnected from real journalism. However, like thousands of hopeful graduates trying to survive in New York, she quickly discovered that landing a prestigious job was far more difficult than she expected.

After several disappointing interviews, Andy finally received an opportunity that many aspiring assistants would have killed for: a position at Runway magazine, one of the most influential fashion publications in the world. The job was to serve as the junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly, the legendary editor-in-chief whose name inspired fear throughout the fashion industry. Miranda was known for her impossible standards, icy demeanor, and ruthless treatment of employees. Countless assistants had quit within months, unable to endure her relentless demands.

Andy was bewildered that she had been hired at all. Unlike the elegant women who worked at Runway, she dressed casually, wore little makeup, and knew almost nothing about designers or trends. During her interview, Miranda openly mocked her appearance and questioned why she wanted the position. Still, Miranda hired her because Andy possessed something many applicants lacked: intelligence and determination. Andy convinced herself that if she could survive one year at Runway, the connections and prestige would help her secure a serious reporting job afterward.

From the moment she began working there, Andy felt completely out of place. The office moved with frantic energy, and every employee seemed obsessed with fashion, appearances, and status. Miranda’s senior assistant, Emily Charlton, immediately treated Andy with contempt. Emily had sacrificed nearly everything for her career at Runway and viewed Andy as unworthy of the position. She criticized Andy’s clothes, mocked her ignorance, and constantly reminded her that millions of girls would gladly take her place.

Miranda herself proved even more terrifying than Andy expected. She demanded perfection in every detail and expected her assistants to anticipate her needs before she spoke. Miranda would call at all hours of the day and night, requesting impossible tasks with absolute confidence that they would be completed. Andy was forced to juggle coffee orders, travel arrangements, unpublished manuscripts, and endless errands while enduring Miranda’s cold insults. No matter how hard she worked, it never seemed enough.

At first, Andy struggled badly. She missed important details, misunderstood fashion terminology, and failed to grasp the culture surrounding the magazine. Her co-workers viewed her as an embarrassment. One particularly disastrous moment occurred when Miranda became stranded in Miami during a hurricane and demanded that Andy secure a flight back to New York despite all airports being closed. When Andy failed, Miranda humiliated her mercilessly, making her feel incompetent and hopeless.

Desperate to improve, Andy turned to Nigel, Runway’s brilliant and sharply observant art director. Unlike the others, Nigel saw potential in her beneath the awkward exterior. He bluntly explained that Andy’s dismissive attitude toward fashion was part of the problem. Whether she respected the industry or not, it mattered deeply to everyone around her. Realizing he was right, Andy began taking her job seriously instead of treating it as temporary torture.

Nigel helped transform Andy’s wardrobe, introducing her to designer clothing and teaching her how appearance functioned as a language within the fashion world. Slowly, Andy’s confidence began to grow. Her new style shocked her co-workers and even caught Miranda’s attention. For the first time, Miranda seemed to recognize that Andy might actually survive the job.

As Andy became more capable, Miranda entrusted her with increasingly important responsibilities. Andy adapted quickly, learning how to navigate the impossible pressures of Runway. She anticipated Miranda’s moods, solved crises before they escalated, and impressed important industry figures. Ironically, the more successful she became, the further she drifted from her old life.

Her friends noticed the change immediately. Andy’s boyfriend, Nate, struggled to understand her demanding schedule and growing obsession with work. Andy constantly canceled plans, arrived late to gatherings, and became distracted even during conversations. The career she once mocked was slowly consuming her identity. While she initially viewed fashion as shallow, she now enjoyed the prestige, luxury, and validation that came with her success.

Meanwhile, Emily remained fixated on one dream above all else: accompanying Miranda to Paris Fashion Week. For Emily, attending the event as Miranda’s assistant represented the ultimate reward for years of loyalty and suffering. She subjected herself to dangerously restrictive diets in preparation, determined to appear thin enough for the fashion elite. Her physical health deteriorated, but she ignored the warning signs.

Tensions escalated when Emily became ill before an important charity event and forgot the names of influential guests. Andy stepped in and saved Miranda from public embarrassment by handling the situation flawlessly. Impressed by Andy’s competence, Miranda made a shocking decision: instead of Emily, Andy would accompany her to Paris Fashion Week.

Emily was devastated. She felt betrayed not only by Miranda, but by Andy as well. Andy knew how much the trip meant to her, yet she accepted the opportunity anyway. Though Andy felt guilty, she also recognized that refusing Miranda’s offer could destroy the career she had worked so hard to build.

Around the same time, Andy’s relationship with Nate collapsed completely. During an argument, Nate accused her of becoming exactly like the cold, shallow people she once criticized. He no longer recognized the compassionate, grounded woman he had fallen in love with. Andy dismissed his concerns at first, but his words lingered painfully in her mind after they separated.In Paris, the glamour and prestige of the fashion world reached their peak. Lavish parties, runway shows, celebrity gatherings, and elite designers surrounded Andy everywhere she went. Yet beneath the beauty and sophistication, she also witnessed the ruthless politics that sustained Miranda’s empire.

Andy learned that Miranda’s marriage was falling apart after her husband filed for divorce. Though Miranda rarely showed vulnerability, Andy briefly glimpsed the loneliness hidden beneath her icy exterior. Miranda’s immense power came at the cost of personal relationships, trust, and emotional connection.

During the trip, Nigel excitedly revealed that he had been offered a dream position as creative director for rising designer James Holt. After years of loyal service to Miranda, Nigel finally believed he would receive the recognition he deserved. Andy was genuinely happy for him.

Later, Andy spent the evening with charming writer Christian Thompson, whose flirtatious confidence drew her in. Christian revealed disturbing industry gossip: powerful executives planned to remove Miranda from her position at Runway and replace her with Jacqueline Follet, the editor of the French edition of the magazine. Horrified, Andy rushed to warn Miranda.

To Andy’s surprise, Miranda remained completely calm. She had already discovered the scheme and quietly prepared a counterattack.

At an important luncheon the following day, Miranda publicly announced that Jacqueline would become the new creative director for James Holt instead. In a single devastating move, Miranda protected her own position while destroying Nigel’s career opportunity. Nigel was blindsided and heartbroken.

Andy was horrified by Miranda’s betrayal. She finally understood that Miranda would sacrifice anyone — friends, colleagues, even loyal employees — to maintain her power. But Miranda responded coldly, pointing out that Andy herself had done something similar to Emily by taking the Paris opportunity. According to Miranda, Andy was becoming more like her than she wanted to admit.

The realization shook Andy deeply. She suddenly saw the path her life was taking and feared losing herself entirely. Overwhelmed with disgust and clarity, Andy walked away from Miranda and abandoned the glamorous world she had fought so hard to enter. When Miranda repeatedly called her phone, Andy threw it into the Fontaines de la Concorde, symbolically rejecting the toxic lifestyle that had consumed her.

Back in New York, Andy began rebuilding her life. She reconnected with Nate, who revealed he had accepted a new job as a sous-chef in Boston. Though their future remained uncertain, they parted on good terms and promised to stay in touch.

Soon afterward, Andy interviewed for a journalism position at the New York Mirror. During the interview, the editor mentioned that he had contacted Miranda Priestly for a reference. Miranda reportedly described Andy as “the biggest disappointment” she had ever hired — but then added that the editor would be a fool not to employ her. It was Miranda’s harsh, indirect way of expressing respect.

Andy ultimately secured the job, finally beginning the journalism career she had wanted from the start. She also reached out to Emily and offered her the expensive clothes and accessories she had received in Paris, hoping to repair some of the damage between them.

One day, while walking past the Runway office building, Andy spotted Miranda entering a car. Andy smiled and waved politely. Miranda ignored her outwardly, maintaining her cold professional image. But once seated inside the car, she allowed herself a small private smile — a quiet acknowledgment that Andy had succeeded in doing what few others ever could: walking away from Miranda Priestly without losing herself completely.

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