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YepStyleSnob said:
Devil is in the details
Originally posted: June 29, 2006 by Ellen Warren
If indeed it’s true that the devil wears Prada, send me straight to hell.
I’ll go anywhere to see more hot fashions like the clothes in the style-obsessed movie opening here Friday.
In case you’ve missed the ads, the hype and the vast pre-release promotion, "The Devil Wears Prada" features the fabulously outfitted Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, the mean and snooty silver-haired editor of Runway magazine, the bible of the fashion industry.
Red-and-black dyed fox coat with patent leather trim by Izzy Camilleri, black suede boots by Christian Louboutin and purple-embossed leather Gucci purse
There’s even a marginally local angle. The plot involves a smart Northwestern University journalism graduate, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who becomes Miranda’s assistant, even though she knows nothing and does not care about fashion.
As Andy morphs from frumpy college girl in boring basics (or a Northwestern hooded sweatshirt) into a fashionista in glorious Chanel and Valentino, I wished I could stand up in the theater and holler, "Put it on pause!"
(At left: Red-and-black dyed fox coat with patent leather trim by Izzy Camilleri, black suede boots by Christian Louboutin and purple-embossed leather Gucci purse.)
I wanted to study exactly how Andy (and Miranda and all the other beautiful women) put their great outfits together. The coats, the bags, the belts and oh, oh, the shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin. Or, as actor Stanley Tucci (Miranda’s aide, Nigel) said in the movie’s promotional materials: "We’re just adjuncts to the film. The fashion IS the film."
Black velvet strapless gown with beaded bow bolero jacket by Valentino; drop citrine and diamond earrings and ring from Fred Leighton
Well, think of the movie’s fashion as an invitation to kick up your look a notch. If ever there was a learning tool for those of us who would like to crank up our style savvy, this is it.
And, you don’t have to have a Chanel-Prada-Gucci budget to make it happen.
I know this because Patricia Field told me so. Field, renowned for creating the cutting-edge look of the women on "Sex and the City," is the costume designer for "The Devil Wears Prada."
Calvin Klein olive jersey dress with buttoned neckline; Giuseppe Zanotti greenish-gold pumps; Kate Spade handbag and Chanel sunglasses
I called Field to get some practical ideas on how you and I could look great like the women in the movie—without going bankrupt.
You’ll be glad to know that one of the first things she told me was, "You don’t need to spend a lot of money." Phew.
"It’s not about going out and buying the ‘it’ bag this season that costs $5,000," Field said. "Fashion is a person expressing themselves. Their individuality. Who they are in the way they dress."
One way to learn to express yourself in the way you dress is to look to fashion history, to examine how famed style icons outfitted themselves.
"Educate yourself as to the classic styles of the century, for example, Chanel, or whatever," Field said. "You could put those looks together in a modern way with what you find today in Nordstrom. It’s about knowing and doing your homework and having an interest."
The movie’s director, David Frankel, has predicted, "A lot of the style in the movie will be part of the future of fashion."
I asked Field to give some tips to those of us who would like to be part of that future right now. "[Become] a bit more dressed up. … For example, a glove. I love gloves. I’m a glove freak," she said. "In that first scene when Miranda is getting out of the limo, it’s black glove, black boot, black coat. If you had seen the [bare] hand, it would have weakened the look."
"When I pressed her for more tips, Field warned: "It’s not about copying these people." Miranda has one look: queenly expensive, confident, not faddish but age appropriate. Andy has another: big brand designer names borrowed from the magazine fashion shoots. Emily, another assistant in the movie, has yet a third look :creative and off-beat. "You can compare and contrast. There are three distinct looks and you can ask yourself, `Why can’t I be a character? I will be the fourth.’"
Fine. I will be the fourth. Make my character tall and skinny with bangs and straight swingy hair. Able to tie a scarf and walk in four-inch heels effortlessly.
LifeNatureLove said:Alright, I just saw it . . .
Read the book a looooong time ago (when it first came out) and didn't like it that much. Too much whining. Sorry, but if I could work at "Vogue" wearing designer clothes from the infamous closet, drinking Starbucks, making contacts and connections- I'd keep my whining on the D.L.
But, I thought the movie was much better than the book. I loved the clothes but too much Chanel and Hermes. I would've liked to see more Chloe, something along those lines.
I don't work in the business, but I thought that it's pretty common to mix low and high end? I guess that would kind of take away the "point" of the movie if they threw in some H&M though. . . Sorry for that ramble, just something I noticed.
And the toe ring? What the??? I never liked toe rings. Ever. So, I was kindaat that part. That was the only buzz kill for me.
the wardrobe... I hope this is the right thread to discuss the film.
I saw that documentary about Anna Wintour and i remember what you described about Plum s. saying thatJacque Marcel said:Saw the movie. It was fun and entertaining imo. Saw many Prada placements such as the perfume on the dresser and the perfume ad in Stanley Tucci's character's office. I thought the costuming was fine and it is just a movie, so I don't understand why all these fashion insiders are so critical of Pat Field's work.
It did remind me of a documentary of Anna that came out several years ago. There was a scene where Plum Sykes was crowing about only women at Vogue are going to wear a $1000 Dolce Gabbana skirt to work. So if that's the case, Pat did a good job on the wardrobe. Oh, I thought Miranda's rivalry with the Carine Roitfeld character was interesting...
i also remember that she said she would specially wear heels on days that she had to tallk with Anna in her office thepeppers said:Love love love love the movie!!! I wore my marc jacobs patent leather flats and took my chloe edith to the movie (my friend thought I was a freak for getting dressed up for it). I want that green coat with the leopard collar but I read it's vintage, oh well. For once, the movie was so much better than the book. Ebay was having a charity auction online last night with clothes worn in the movie, but most of Andrea's clothes were her before/geek clothes (who wants that blue sweater and plaid skirt, yuck). I will totally buy the DVD so that I can pause during that sequence where Meryl throws all her coats and bags on Andrea's desk. It went by too fast to get a good look at all those divine things.
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