The sequel to fashion’s favourite film, The Devil Wears Prada 2, is about to hit cinemas, reuniting many of the same cast and crew that worked on the original 2006 movie. Of course, there’s Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, plus the return of writer Aline Brosh McKenna, as well as costume designer Molly Rogers, who worked under legendary costume designer Patricia Field during the first film. Before TDWP, the design duo worked together on Sex and the City, and since then, Rogers has become best known for ambitiously continuing Field’s work on And Just Like That…. 

It’s no surprise then that she was called to work on TDWP2, though Rogers herself is full of surprises. Firstly, those polarising Valentino Rockstuds (we were in support of them) had nothing to do with her. She cuts me off the moment I mention the heels, which outraged the fashion community when they appeared in the teaser trailer last November. “I didn’t pick those!” she stresses, hoping to clear her name. “I am throwing that marketing team under the bus. Let them be chased with pitchforks and lamps.”

Rogers explains that she was away from set, prepping in Italy, when the film’s marketing team broke into the wardrobe department. “Marketing people want an eye-catcher, and they insisted on that shoe, which happened to be in the wardrobe room. The wardrobe team guarded that room with their life, but they called me and said ‘the shoe has been changed’. If you’re not a fashion person, you don’t know that that character would not wear that trend. It’s a bit flashy. [But] my friends at Valentino were elated!” 

Then, one of her biggest revelations is that the devil does not, in fact, wear Prada. Or at least, not very much of it. “And she didn’t in the first one either,” Rogers explains. Why? “Ask them [Prada],” she responds bluntly. “I made a wish list. They asked me for one… I don’t know why.” 

Prada did participate in the fashion show featured at the end of the film, a moment that pays homage to Italian fashion, for which several Italian designers leant five looks each. However, Rogers had her heart set on a devil-red Prada sweater, which she failed to obtain. “I’m sure there are huge meetings about this,” she says. “It’s something bigger and wiser than us. But what’s bigger and wiser than Miranda Priestly? I’d like to know.” 

In the 2006 film, Miranda wears two items from Prada: the handbag she carries in the opening credits – “the handle broke that day,” Rogers adds, “so we glued it back together” – as well as the off-the-shoulder top that she wears when she snubs Nigel for the promotion. “Some things don’t get explained and that’s OK. We didn’t blink. We were like ‘so, that’s a no.’ But it’s really not important. The devil really wears anything she fucking wants to. I didn’t miss it.” 

“No” – Molly Rogers on Anna Wintour

It’s widely accepted that the fictional, ice-cold, editor-in-chief of Runway magazine is based on Vogue’s global editorial director, Anna Wintour. The author of the book, Lauren Weisberger, worked as Wintour’s assistant at the turn of the century, and earlier this month, both Streep and Wintour appeared together on the cover of Vogue’s May issue. After twenty years of comparisons being drawn between the fictional and real-life editor, it’d be easy to assume that Wintour might have a say in Priestly’s wardrobe. I ask Rogers if Wintour made contact: she shakes her head slowly and, fittingly, purses her lips. No input at all? “No,” she finally confirms. 

“This is not a documentary. Meryl Streep is creating a character. The hair colour and the choice of sunglasses drove that home. Non-fashion people don’t have the references: Polly Mellen or Carmen Dell’Orefice – those were on our mood board. And…” she takes a breath before stopping herself, “I’m not going to say that, nevermind. It’s not worth it.” I wait. “There’s a lot of fantastic fashion magazines in the world,” she offers. “They [Vogue] are not the only game in town.” 

During fittings, Streep was particularly drawn to Milanese knitwear brand Sa Su Phi, and ended up wearing a lot of it throughout the film. It’s the same brand that Rogers is wearing on the day of our interview. There’s also a lot of Armani – but there was supposed to be even more. 

Last September, the cast members lit up social media when they attended Dolce & Gabbana’s SS26 show in Milan. All in character, Streep, Hathaway and Tucci sat front row, while Simone Ashley sat behind them (because she plays an assistant). The moment was filmed and included in the movie. Initially, however, there had been plans for the cast to attend the Armani show as well as Dolce, but sadly, Giorgio Armani passed away three weeks prior. “Those were the only two designers who could fit it into the fashion week schedule,” says Rogers. “Giorgio Armani had been so excited to host them. They [the brand] felt like it would be inappropriate to have that. It’s too soon. They were figuring out the funeral.”

Although the Armani show was cut, the cast still paid tribute to the late designer in several of their outfits, with the brand’s Privé line cropping up throughout. Dolce still plays a big part in the movie, as does Dior. Emily Blunt’s character Emily Charlton now works as Dior’s head of PR, meaning the brand features heavily throughout. “A lot of times when we have a big partner, they have certain requirements,” admits Rogers, though the brand made it easy for her. Marisa Pucci, Dior’s chief communications officer in the Americas, served as inspiration for Emily’s wardrobe (“I met this wonderful woman… she was so chic”), as did Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Cruise 2025 collection, hosted at Drummond Castle in Scotland. 

Jonathan Anderson had landed at Dior a week before filming started, according to Rogers, so was focused on his debut show. Somehow, he still found the time to create two custom looks for Emily. One is worn during her meeting with Donatella. The other was a ball gown that ended up being cut. “I was told the movie was too long in the beginning to include the ball gown scene. I was crushed,” says Rogers. 

As for our anti-fashion protagonist, Andy Sachs, Anne Hathaway came armed with her own ideas. “She had references that she wanted to express. She had pictures of Robert Mapplethorpe wearing a loose silk shirt – that made me think of a news room,” says Rogers. “Patricia [Field]’s initial deep inspiration for Andrea Sachs was Annie Hall, which was a men’s vest, a tie, a wide-leg pant and a hat. You know, [Diane] Keaton.” 

As one of fashion’s most collectively treasured films, it comes as no surprise that the industry has strong opinions about the characters’ wardrobes – after all, it is loosely based on all of us working at fashion publications. If the characters have poor taste, it reflects badly on us too. Rogers already experienced one wave of backlash with the Rockstuds, and given that that was only the teaser trailer, more online discourse is to be expected. “They’ll do whatever they’re gonna do,” she says of the online chatter. “The work is done. I’m hoping for longevity. I can’t wait to hear how they would’ve done it better.” 

The Devil Wears Prada 2 releases globally in cinemas on May 1