This scene recalled the frenzy that unfolds backstage during fashion week.
On a recent Monday, in a room full of clothing racks, stylist Micaela Erlanger was working alongside a team of tailors and assistants. But they were not preparing for your average fashion show.
Erlanger and the group had assembled at her studio in Manhattan to prepare looks for actress Meryl Streep, Erlanger’s client of 11 years, to wear during the press tour for The Devil Wears Prada 2, the buzzy sequel to a beloved film set at a fictionalised version of a certain glossy fashion magazine.
In the sequel, Streep steps back into the stilettos of Miranda Priestly, the publication’s glamorous editor-in-chief.
She stars alongside Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, who also reprise their roles as Andrea Sachs and Emily Charlton, characters who served as Priestly’s assistants in the original film.
Based on a novel and released in 2006, it has become a cult favourite among serious and casual followers of fashion alike.
To prime fans for the sequel, Streep has appeared on the cover of Vogue and, along with some of her co-stars, has travelled to Mexico, South Korea, China and Japan in recent weeks for premieres.
On Monday (April 20), cast members appeared in New York, and they will travel to London for more events before The Devil Wears Prada 2 is released May 1 in the US.
Each affair has offered the cast members a chance to turn heads in finery on par with the clothing worn by the characters they play in the movie.
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Balenciaga, Chanel, Valentino and – yes – Prada are just some of the labels they have sported as they have travelled the globe.
To pull off this fashion feat – and to avoid any style faux pas – Erlanger, 40, has been in constant communication with Erin Walsh, 43, Hathaway’s stylist of seven years, and Jessica Paster, 60, who has been styling Blunt for going on two decades.
The women have been operating as something of a hive mind for months, sharing details of the actresses’ looks – the brands, the accessories, the colour palettes – in group chats, calls and conversations on the sidelines of runway shows.
“I got to see Erin and Micaela at fashion shows,” Paster said. “We would whisper: ‘I like that. I like that. I like this. I like that.’”
In a conversation that has been edited and condensed, Paster, Erlanger and Walsh discussed their collaborative relationship, the stakes of styling press tours and the ways they have used fashion to build hype for The Devil Wears Prada 2.
How have you each approached dressing your client for the press tour?
Erlanger: With Meryl, we leaned into this idea of powerful silhouettes and shapes that you haven’t necessarily seen her in.
This is a fashion movie – we’re leaning into it.
I would say that there are a lot of references that the fashion community will appreciate and enjoy.
We have not just been referencing the first film, but referencing references within the film. I call it “meta dressing”.
Paster: You have to remember that Emily Charlton was an assistant 20 years ago. She has evolved.
So I’m approaching her as a little stronger – a girl with power. She doesn’t need to borrow clothes anymore.
Designers are now giving her the clothes, and she’s out buying clothes.
Walsh: I guess I am hesitant to tell you a theme. I don’t want to encapsulate it. Ultimately, it’s always about how we make a person feel their very best.
You said you communicate via group text. What are you saying to one another?
Erlanger: We have been, from logistics to creative, kind of strategizing among ourselves. What look works best here or there? What’s the other person wearing? Will they look great together?
Paster: I remember one text among us was like: “I’m thinking red. I’m thinking a little burgundy red. And I’m thinking red, too. Is it weird that they’re all wearing red?”
I said, “No, let’s lean into that, and let’s do it all in red.”
What we do is make a picture more beautiful. If we have two people who are wearing red, and one is wearing white or purple or black, that is the girl that should be in the middle of a photo.
It’s not about, “My girl needs to be in the middle.”
If something goes viral, it’s going to help Erin; it’s going to help me; it’s going to help Micaela; and it’s going to help the movie because it gets everyone buzzing and excited.
Walsh: With our job, there are always curveballs thrown your way. By working together, we can better navigate any kind of situation in a joyful way without having breakdowns.
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Modern press tours can involve several premieres in addition to other events. How has that changed how you work?
Erlanger: Social media has made every moment a photo op. Even if it is a junket day when your clients are sitting in a room for on-camera interviews, those pictures get picked up.
So every single moment has become press-worthy. And, therefore, there’s more intentionality behind what clients are wearing.
Paster: People forget that we just can’t bring in a dress or two, bust out a look and call it a day.
Micaela and Erin are going with nine suitcases all over the world to fit their girls, and I have two trips of fittings in Ireland.
What clothes have YOU been wearing during the press tour?
Walsh: You’ve got to look the part. I tend to, in these situations, reach for more empowering pieces, like a shoulder pad and heels. I don’t work in flats.
Erlanger: I need a flat, and I kind of want to be more comfortable. I’m in jeans and a blazer and a button down and a flat.
Paster: I’m working in sweats and with my hair in a bun. – ©2026 The New York Times Company
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
