Milan shines as ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ debuts in Italy

Prada and Milan Take Center Stage as “The Devil Wears Prada 2” Premieres in Fashion Capital

Prada may have the title role in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” premiering Thursday in Italy’s fashion capital, but the film serves as a broader showcase for the fashion industry with Milan itself earning a notable supporting role.

The highly anticipated sequel evokes the iconic Italian luxury brand without being directly about the storied fashion house that has become synonymous with Milan’s identity. In a fitting homage, Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour both appear wearing Prada on the current Vogue cover celebrating the film about a demanding fashion editor.

However, when portions of the movie were filmed in Milan during fashion week last September, it was a Dolce & Gabbana runway show, not Prada, that served as the backdrop for a pivotal scene featuring Streep and Stanley Tucci.

“When you think of Prada, when you think of the Prada brand, you also think of Milan. This is obviously good for the fashion system,” noted Tommaso Sacchi, Milan’s counselor for culture. “It’s a film that is good for the city.”

That enthusiasm has materialized in a popular pop-up installation at Milan’s main department store, where fans of the film and fashion enthusiasts have flocked to take selfies at a replica of fictitious fashion editor Miranda Priestly’s desk and against the backdrop of a faux Runway magazine mock-up cover.

VIPs attending the film’s Italian premiere Thursday, ahead of its global release next week, will attend a cocktail reception in the specially designed space.

Rinascente CEO Mariella Elia said the overwhelmingly positive response to the pop-up — announced by giant statues of iconic red pumps outside the store — reflects a “desire for lightness” among visitors.

“It’s not just about buying, it’s really about reviving what fashion represents… a desire to have a stylish flair once again, a desire for joy, too — perhaps in contrast with the current economic and international moment that humanity is experiencing,” Elia explained.

The pop-up has become a destination for fashion enthusiasts, with visitors browsing limited edition T-shirts featuring famous phrases from the first film such as Miranda Priestly’s caustic question, “Is there some reason my coffee isn’t here?”

Valentina Cattivelli, a professor who visited the installation, said she wasn’t trying to channel Priestly’s notorious demeanor as she posed behind the replica desk, complete with an inbox full of other biting lines from the original film, including Priestly’s dismissive “That’s all.”

“No, I’m not so cruel in my daily life, but I appreciate her professional style and also her fashion and the taste for fashion. But not her sarcasm or cruelty, no,” Cattivelli admitted.

The connection between Milan and Prada runs deep. The brand was founded just steps away from the department store, in the stately Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, by Miuccia Prada’s grandfather. Today, the elegant shopping arcade is anchored by two Prada flagship stores, highlighting the brand’s central role in Milan’s fashion landscape.

Miuccia Prada transformed the family business into a global fashion powerhouse, turning her infamous “ugly chic” aesthetic into must-have looks and accessories that bring intellectual substance to runway fashion — a core theme explored in the original movie, which offered viewers a rare glimpse beyond fashion-world frivolity.

“There is a close relationship between the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ franchise and Prada, because by evoking Prada from the very title, it evokes a fashion that makes you dream, a fashion that makes you feel elegant, a fashion that makes you feel good, a fashion that gives you an allure,” explained Annarita Briganti, a fashion journalist who authored a book about Prada for Rizzoli’s Made in Italy editions.

As the sequel prepares for its global rollout, the symbiotic relationship between Milan, Prada, and the film franchise underscores the enduring influence of Italian fashion on global popular culture, while offering a welcome economic boost to Milan’s tourism and retail sectors during a challenging global economic period.