When the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada was announced, the gasp was collective. We will not dwell on how much the film was a generational manifesto on the world of fashion, because it is a fact-and probably a concept well understood by the production as well, which at least for now seems to be betting everything on a precise lever: nostalgia. Which, however, risks being a double-edged sword.
For a film about fashion, an industry that is by definition constantly evolving, staying too anchored in the past may not be the most effective move. And we are not talking about the film-for that we will have to wait until 04/29-but about the press tour. Well in advance of its release, it has already touched down in Mexico City, Tokyo and Seoul, with only Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in attendance. The elegantly curated appearances convey a red carpet feel that seems to belong more to the past than the present: glossy and far removed from the language of fashion today. The strength of the original film lay in its ability to chronicle an era and an industry with an inside, authentic look. Here, however, that look seems crystallized-and inevitably loses something in sincerity. The result is a press tour that really fails to pull us along: everything is flawless and in place, yet a feeling of distance remains. We expect to be involved and instead find ourselves observing.
The hope is that we are talking too soon. The tour will continue in Shanghai, while in London and New York the event should take on a more institutional tone as screenings begin. Milan will have its premiere-and considering that the city hosted part of the filming and remains one of the hearts of the fashion system, the news would be one to celebrate-if it were not for the fact that Anne and Meryl apparently will not be present. An absence that says a lot: the very stage that could have re-established a connection with the world told by the film turns into yet another missed opportunity. We hope that in the next stages the press tour will manage to evolve, finding a form more in tune with the world it narrates and which, by nature, cannot afford to stand still.
[📸 Snapix; Courtesy of Disney; Instagram somewherepictures; primark.com
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