Why 'The Devil Wears Prada' still rules after 20 years

Two decades after its release, The Devil Wears Prada continues to stand as a definitive fashion-meets-workplace classic, driven by iconic performances from Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.

Packed with razor-sharp dialogue, couture-heavy montages and unforgettable character moments, the film’s opening chapter alone produced scenes that fans continue to quote, meme and replay.

25 unforgettable Prada moments

1. Miranda Priestly’s silent entrance that instantly freezes the office.

2. “That’s all” — two words that strike fear at Runway.

3. Andy Sachs’ disastrous first day at the magazine.

4. Staff scrambling the moment Miranda’s coat hits the desk.

5. Emily Charlton’s relentless obsession with Paris Fashion Week.

6. Andy’s blue sweater being “not just blue.”

7. The legendary cerulean monologue.

8. Nigel’s first honest critique of Andy’s look.

9. “Gird your loins!” becoming a workplace anthem.

10. Andy sprinting through New York with coffee and manuscripts.

11. The fashion closet makeover scene.

12. “You have no style or sense of fashion.”

13. Emily surviving on cheese cubes and hope.

14. Miranda calmly destroying careers in one meeting.

15. Andy finally earning Miranda’s approving nod.

16. The phone that never stops ringing.

17. Nigel lending Andy designer confidence.

18. The shock announcement of the Paris trip.

19. Emily’s crushed dream of going to Paris.

20. Andy strutting into work like a runway model.

21. Miranda’s subtle vulnerability in Paris.

22. “Everybody wants to be us.”

23. The quiet power of Miranda’s gaze.

24. Andy choosing herself over the job.

25. The final smile between Miranda and Andy.

Why these moments still matter

What made these scenes endure was not just the fashion, but the realism beneath the glamour.

“Everybody has had an experience like this,” Hathaway once said, referring to working under a demanding boss.

Tucci called the film enduring for a simple reason.

“It’s a brilliant movie. Brilliant stories become influential,” he said.

Streep later noted that the story resonated far beyond the fashion world.

“Men would come up to me and say, ‘This is kind of like my life,’” she said.

A cultural blueprint

More than a romantic comedy, The Devil Wears Prada became a reflection of ambition, sacrifice and identity in modern work culture. It reshaped how audiences viewed assistants, bosses and the cost of success, all while wrapped in high fashion.

Years on, its most memorable moments remain embedded in pop culture — proof that some films do not just age well.

They endure.