The Devil wears Prada sequel is on the way: what did the first film teach us?

And for a company like ours, which looks at fashion not just as an aesthetic expression but also as a language speaking about a sense of belonging and community, the film works like a mirror in which we recognize our values and feel different when compared to dynamics belonging to another vision of the world.

One of the most iconic scenes of the film is the one in which Miranda Priestly, the cold and sophisticated editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, explains the young assistant Andrea Sachs that even a simple blue sweater is never just a sweater. Behind every item of clothing there is a whole ecosystem made of style choices, visions and messages. From this point of view fashion is never something just pure aesthetical, but a language speaking about those who wear it. 

And also for us apparel has to be interpreted like a personal and collective form of expression. Each collection is conceived to give voice to people’s individual personality, through items of clothing that are not only beautiful to see but also allow those who choose them to speak about themselves and feel part of something bigger. However, while in the film such a perspective is only limited to a restricted elite dictating fashion trends, Teddy with its brands moves towards the opposite direction: embracing and giving value to everyone, giving each person the opportunity to feel included and represented through a style that embraces and mirrors their uniqueness.

However, the film also shows in an impactful way the price people may pay to adjust themselves to a toxic workplace: Andrea Sachs, a young, brilliant woman who in the beginning feels distant from the careerist and hierarchical logic of the world of fashion, slowly turns herself into what she had initially despised. In order to climb the ladder and win Miranda’s approval, she embraces a system that rewards ambition at all costs, at the expense of her own uniqueness and personal relationships.

Only at the end of the film Andrea understands how much she had become a stranger to herself. In a cathartic moment, she decides to throw away her mobile phone, the symbol of non-stop requests and work pressure, and to abandon a path that was turning her into a version of herself she did not like.  That moment is not just a personal decision, but also a clear reflection on how a corporate culture that does not respond to the human needs of people may have a negative impact even on the most motivated and talented ones. What is the result? A failing talent retention, because no one can flourish for a long time within an environment suffocating personal well-being and uniqueness.

On the contrary, we at Teddy believe in building an inclusive and sustainable corporate culture, where people are given value as people even before giving value to them as resources. We believe that complete fulfilment does not have to be achieved giving up the identity or well-being of those who work with us. At Teddy each collaborator is part of a community  that wishes to take care of their unique needs, offering support for a balanced and rewarding professional and human growth. The journey of Andrea is not only a lesson on ambition, but also a reflection on how true success is not adjusting to imposed models, but it means finding a balance between what we wish and what we truly are. Her final decision shows that giving up yourself to adjust to an environment not representing yourself can never lead to true personal fulfilment.

That message deeply connects to our values. Work to us is an occasion for personal and professional growth that must always respect the uniqueness of each person. We do not trust a successful idea that imposes unreasonable sacrifices, but we have faith in a model putting people at the center, giving value to their contribution without ever requiring them to give up to what makes them unique.

The Devil wears Prada is therefore not just a fascinating story about the world of fashion, but also a warning. It urges us to think about the importance of creating workplaces where people can fulfil themselves from a professional and human point of view, without being oppressed by unreal expectations; while at the same time being spurred to give their best in the places where they are called to work.

The film is for us a prompt to keep on asking ourselves questions, on building a corporate culture based on inclusiveness and a sense of belonging. Fashion is a celebration of our uniqueness, but the success of a company lies in the ability to create not just items of clothing telling stories, but also workplaces where people can feel part of a shared Dream, without never giving up themselves to achieve it.