Just weeks before the release of the sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Vogue orchestrated a unique meeting between Anna Wintour and her cinematic counterpart, Miranda Priestly/Meryl Streep. A powerful image that finally seals the link between real-world fashion and the archetype of the ruthless fashion magazine editor-in-chief.
Anna Wintour, who has long embodied the high priestess of fashion in the real world, has never really identified with Miranda Priestly. Since 2006 and the release of the film The Devil Wears Prada, the former editor-in-chief of US Vogue has kept her distance from this fictional alter ego who has become a cult figure. For while the prestige of having inspired a character might have boosted the fashion queen’s ego, Miranda Priestly’s tyrannical and unlikable nature did little to highlight her joie de vivre and kindness.
The actress succeeded in permanently cementing the image of the icy boss lady of the fashion world, as uncompromising and feared as she is sarcastic. She thus gave rise to numerous fictional clones in cinema, such as the Baroness, portrayed by Emma Thompson in the film Cruella (2021), but also—and more surprisingly—in the 2016 advertisement for Carte Noire coffee.
At the time, even the film’s promotional campaign carefully avoided any overt comparisons, even though the public drew a fairly clear parallel with the journalist—dark glasses perched on her nose, a strict bob, and a frozen smile. And then, in 2026, everything changed: for the first time, Anna Wintour no longer sidestepped the myth—she embraced it.
An interview by Greta Gerwig
It’s an image that seemed impossible. And yet, here it is: Anna Wintour and Meryl Streep together on the cover of Vogue. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the scene is meticulously composed, almost cinematic. The silhouettes are sharp, the complicit smiles, the dark glasses, of course, are all there. But here, nothing is caricatured. We see the two women sitting side by side on two chairs in a natural pose or inside an elevator, echoing scenes from the first film where Miranda Priestly stepped out to head to her office in front of fearful employees.
The genius of this cover lies in its subtlety: instead of pitting reality against fiction, it merges them. Miranda Priestly is no longer a satire, Anna Wintour is no longer a supposed inspiration—the two figures coexist in the same visual space, like two expressions of the same power.
One detail that speaks volumes: *The Devil Wears Prada* was originally a bestseller published in 2003 and written by Lauren Weisberger, who recounted her experience as an intern in the ruthless world of *Vogue* magazine… which was headed by Anna Wintour at the time. Other sources also mention Cruella de Vil, Martha Stewart, and even the ghost of Joan Crawford in *Mommie Dearest*.
During a recent appearance on *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert*, the 76-year-old American actress did, however, reveal her true inspirations for developing the character of Miranda Priestly—namely a fusion of her experiences with directors Mike Nichols (*The Graduate*, *Working Girl*…) and Clint Eastwood. That is, two different approaches to directing a film set: wry humor for the former, and a strong work ethic and a categorical refusal to raise one’s voice, keeping everyone on their toes, for the latter.
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To orchestrate this meeting, Vogue chose Greta Gerwig—director of *Barbie*—to conduct the interview. This was no random choice: Gerwig knows better than anyone how to play with icons and rewrite them.
Click here to read the full article on Luxus Magazine.
Featured photo : Annie Leibovitz – VOGUE
