April 23, 2026 |
London did not hold back. Last night’s premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 in Leicester Square brought the full force of fashion fantasy back to the capital, exactly two decades after the original film first made cerulean a cultural reference point. This time, the stakes – and the wardrobes – were higher.
Anne Hathaway led the arrivals in a deconstructed Versace tuxedo dress while Meryl Streep delivered pure Miranda Priestly in Prada, complete with a crystal-studded clutch shaped like the infamous Runway ‘book’ – that sacred object ferried nightly to her townhouse in the first film. Emily Blunt, in custom Balenciaga, and Stanley Tucci, in Paul Smith, brought their usual polish, while Simone Ashley, stepping in as the new Emily, wore Mugler. Donatella Versace’s presence – both on the carpet and in the film itself – only sharpened the sense that fashion and fiction were blurring in real time.
But the real story unfolded after the credits rolled.
Guests were swept from cinema to the National Gallery, where Disney UK joined forces with 10 Magazine to stage a ‘fashion moment’ as part of A Night With Runway – a gala that leaned fully into spectacle. Entering via a second ruby red carpet, attendees climbed a staircase punctuated with oversized Runway logos before stepping into rooms dressed with blood-red florals and a distinctly Renaissance atmosphere; and the guest list – Hathaway, Blunt, Tucci, Streep, Ashley, Versace – kept the energy high.
At the centre of it all was the evening’s ‘fashion moment’: a salon-style presentation spotlighting 10 London-based designers, styled by a crack team of 10 Magazine’s very own. Set to an upbeat piano score, the showcase unfolded less like a runway and more like a living editorial – each look a vignette, each designer a distinct voice within the broader narrative of British fashion now.
The presentation opened on volume and structure, with Zandra Rhodes’ copper-orange gown establishing a sense of theatrical control through sharp pleating and exaggerated shoulders. That interplay between form and movement carried through Harris Reed’s sheer floral look, encased within a rigid black frame that curved outward from the body, before sharpening into Richard Quinn’s stark black silhouette, where a single white floral detail provided contrast against otherwise clean lines.
From there, the mood softened without losing precision. Jenny Packham’s embellished black gown caught the light with a quieter shimmer, its fluid drape shifting the focus toward movement, while Roksanda reintroduced texture through a tiered composition of feathered fringe – bands of black, red, and ivory bringing a sense of rhythm to an otherwise structured form.
There was a subtle lift in tone as the sequence progressed. Stella McCartney’s polka-dot dress, paired with a sculptural Stephen Jones hat, introduced a note of controlled playfulness, which Ashish extended through layered tulle and saturated colour – volume building, but held in check by darker underlayers that grounded the look.
That sense of restraint returned in 16 Arlington’s feathered column, where the silhouette narrowed and surface became the focus, before expanding again into the historical references of Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood. Here, a corseted bodice and mixed brocade skirt leaned into irregularity and construction, setting up a final shift in texture and tone.
Dilara Findikoglu closed the sequence with a more tactile contrast: a shaggy, high-collared fur jacket layered over a structured corset and slim snakeskin trousers. The balance between volume and control, softness and structure, echoed throughout the presentation, bringing it to a cohesive end.
It worked because it understood the assignment. The sequel’s plot centres on Runway navigating a collapsing media landscape, where legacy glossies must fight to remain relevant. This gala answered that tension in real time: by doubling down on image, on experience, on the kind of fashion moment that demands attention rather than asking for it.
In the first film, Miranda dismisses trends with a single glance. Here, London made its own case – that fashion, when done properly, doesn’t follow the conversation. It is the conversation.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas May 1. Photography by Pip Bourdillon, courtesy of Disney UK.
