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2 weeks ago
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Posting the first trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 on Instagram on her birthday this week, the film’s star Anne Hathaway captioned the video with “it’s everybody’s birthday”, prompting copious comments featuring emojis of flames, hearts and – of course – the red shoe now so associated with the film’s poster.
But with the trailer circulating on social media, it’s the shoes that have become the focus of fashion debate – and not in a good way.
The trailer starts with the feet of the film’s fearsome fashion editor, Miranda Priestly, wearing red studded stilettos, the so-called Rockstud design made by Valentino in 2010, a shoe that became popular with fashion editors of the decade.
It’s this that has caused offence – the idea that someone so plugged into fashion would be wearing what is considered passe. On the Who What Wear Instagram account, in comments below the post of the video, followers made their feelings known. “Giving rockstuds that much airtime was a … choice,” wrote one, while another simply said “no to shoes”.
On TikTok, the creator NewsWithLils commented: “I’m no fashion expert but even I know Miranda Priestly wearing Valentino rockstud shoes in 2025 is a diabolical move and not in a good way.”
If this reaction shows the strength of feeling around the sequel to the characters in this much-loved 2006 film, it is also in line with a wider trend for online debate following the release of trailers or onset images from films and TV that have a fashion angle.
In June, images from the upcoming biopic series of the style icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy were released, with the actor Sarah Pidgeon as Kennedy. They were quickly trashed by fans online, with one describing the images as “fashion murder”, with everything from the particular shade of blonde of Pidgeon’s hair to the “wrong” handbag becoming the source of outrage.
Reactions around costumes demonstrate the love of these fashion characters – whether fictional or real. This is something that those making the films and TV shows are no doubt cognisant of – so much so that a preview of “wrongness” in the costumes could be deliberate, something designed to get the internet talking and create more buzz before release.
With the Rockstud, there is also the possibility that the tide could turn, and the shoe could be viewed as a clever choice – because something that feels so behind the times is, in fact, ripe for a revival.
“When I started at Vogue in 2011, I remember Rockstuds being a familiar sight,” says Julia Hobbs, a senior contributing fashion features editor at Vogue. “In my mind, there’s something deeply nostalgic about them.”
She suggests there is more to come with the film. “If I were to play devil’s advocate, I’d say I’m always here for a vintage shoe revival – although if we can call the 2010s vintage, which is a debate for another day,” she says “and if anyone can kickstart a shoe trend it’s Miranda Priestly.”
