2008 Woodie Awards
'Devil Wears Prada' influences fashion movement
Kate Goodin
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Features
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I am expecting this column to elicit mixed reactions. Fashionistas will rejoice; some might regard it with amusement; others will raise a confused eyebrow. After all, what place does a fashion column have in a college newspaper, albeit one based in-no offense-Poughkeepsie? Aside from my great personal interest and a significant readership in Marist's own impressive Fashion Department, fashion is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned within all our lives, and it is with that notion that I humbly yet eagerly submit myself to a biweekly discourse on all things fashion for my fellow students.
Love it or loathe it, the fashion industry is fascinating, and there is a part in all of us that yearns to know every sordid detail. I am sure a considerable amount of the Marist population read The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger's acclaimed exposé on the fashion industry, or saw the delightfully scintillating movie adaptation. Quick synopsis for those not in the know: wide-eyed journalism student, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), fresh from university winds up in a job "a million girls would kill for" as assistant to Anna Wintour-esque Runway magazine editrix Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Several fashion faux pas and one montage later, Andy can wrangle Miranda's demands with the same ease she now exercises in spike-heeled Chanel boots. Even if you think you take no interest in fashion, it is still great entertainment (watch supporting actors Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt as Nigel and Emily, respectively; they were totally on point, in my opinion.)
Originally, the novel was intended as a tell-all glimpse of the ugly side in a world centered on beauty and glamour, which probably enforced everyone's stereotypes of the fashion industry. The movie, while it still capitalized on those stereotypes, actually demonstrated how fashion is relevant to our lives. Recall Miranda Priestly's infamous monologue, where she explains to a still woefully fashion-ignorant Andy that although Andy chose to wear her outfit as a message to the world that she does not care about such trivial things as fashion, the color of her sweater, specifically cerulean blue, was a concept developed years ago and a product of millions of dollars and hours of work. We all died a little watching Miranda destroy Andy's soul in that scene, but take a look in any of our closets: what we wear, or a form or it, was once paraded down the catwalks of Milan, Paris, and New York, which this is an example of the trickle-down theory in fashion. Designers are toiling away on what you will wear in 2009 as we speak. Fashion exists as a serious business committed to giving us as many options possible to exercise our creativity through dress. Take any outfit on any random Marist student on any given day. Whether he or she is wearing a suit, sweatpants, or stilettos, all ensembles make a statement and give the world a sense of who we are. You are what you wear.
Love it or loathe it, the fashion industry is fascinating, and there is a part in all of us that yearns to know every sordid detail. I am sure a considerable amount of the Marist population read The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger's acclaimed exposé on the fashion industry, or saw the delightfully scintillating movie adaptation. Quick synopsis for those not in the know: wide-eyed journalism student, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), fresh from university winds up in a job "a million girls would kill for" as assistant to Anna Wintour-esque Runway magazine editrix Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Several fashion faux pas and one montage later, Andy can wrangle Miranda's demands with the same ease she now exercises in spike-heeled Chanel boots. Even if you think you take no interest in fashion, it is still great entertainment (watch supporting actors Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt as Nigel and Emily, respectively; they were totally on point, in my opinion.)
Originally, the novel was intended as a tell-all glimpse of the ugly side in a world centered on beauty and glamour, which probably enforced everyone's stereotypes of the fashion industry. The movie, while it still capitalized on those stereotypes, actually demonstrated how fashion is relevant to our lives. Recall Miranda Priestly's infamous monologue, where she explains to a still woefully fashion-ignorant Andy that although Andy chose to wear her outfit as a message to the world that she does not care about such trivial things as fashion, the color of her sweater, specifically cerulean blue, was a concept developed years ago and a product of millions of dollars and hours of work. We all died a little watching Miranda destroy Andy's soul in that scene, but take a look in any of our closets: what we wear, or a form or it, was once paraded down the catwalks of Milan, Paris, and New York, which this is an example of the trickle-down theory in fashion. Designers are toiling away on what you will wear in 2009 as we speak. Fashion exists as a serious business committed to giving us as many options possible to exercise our creativity through dress. Take any outfit on any random Marist student on any given day. Whether he or she is wearing a suit, sweatpants, or stilettos, all ensembles make a statement and give the world a sense of who we are. You are what you wear.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Luxe Gurl
posted 3/05/07 @ 7:49 PM EST
I agree with you that fashion is truly fascinating and I agree with Miranda that fashion affects us all whether we like it or not.
For myself, I love all things fashion and I get a lot of comments from friends and coworkers about how they want to be more fashionable but just don't believe they can get there. (Continued…)
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